Parth Edwen ~ Volume II
Pennas Gwirith ~ April Issue

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Elrond’s Song

Beyond my loneliness the sun has set,
the shadows play and dance here in my room.
I have so much to grieve and to regret,
so much has vanished into dust and gloom,
there is so much that I still have to fight...
Who breathes like that behind me? Just the night.

I wonder how the night can make that sound,
the most familiar; footsteps ’hind my back,
how can it step so lightly on the ground
and what’s that spark that conquers all the black?
I turn around, I see — A meleth nín!
The one I loved when life was young and green.

Celebrían, my sweetest silver love,
how have you found the way across the sea?
What have you told the Sun and Moon above
to make them let you reunite with me?
What holy winds of Manwë safely bore
you from the sacred realms of Valinor?

It seems to me as if the stars are pale
beside the fire within your trembling heart,
and yet your body seems so weak and frail,
one touch from me will make you fall apart,
but I would leave my kingdom and my might
if only you’d be in my arms tonight.

I know that you’re a vision and a dream,
I know that you will leave me here alone;
when morning comes with Anor’s first red beam
my hand will only meet the marble stone.
But until then, just stay with me and dance,
and bathe me in your love and radiance!

The ages all have seemed so uncomplete
without my jewel from the Wood of Gold.
The hours fly so swiftly ’round your feet
as you are moving to the tunes of old.
I do not know how I have made it through
so many lonely years sundered from you...

Now do you hear that sound, Celebrían?
Oh, can you hear it, how the morning sings?
Soon we shall see the glory of the Sun;
you’ll have to leave upon the breezes’ wings.
Three whispered words, four eyes that meet, and then
a kiss goodbye until we meet again.

~ Annatariel

 

Guilds and Groups

Army Report

       As usual, many things have taken place in the Elven Army of Rivendell. It continues to alter and evolve, and sadly also sometimes to let go of things. Aleandra, Arquendi of the Rivendell Defence, has been forced to resign due to lack of time. Tararáto Cara, also of the Rivendell Defence, has also left after serving the army for a long time with great achievements; most worthy of notice among these is the running of the healing clinic Envinyatindo. Khait has been promoted to Arquendi for the RD and will no doubt fill the gaps left by the other two officers. She is also responsible for organising the Army’s part of the upcoming feast for New Year, which is a test of who are the greatest fighters in Imladris.

      The Army has as usual several activities running for the soldiers to participate in. A relaxation room has been opened in Rivendell itself, called the Host of Imladris, and it is a place to rest and meet other soldiers. Also, the second part of the Silmaril RPG is running, in which the Army has had skirmishes both at the fords of Tharbad and at the Baranduin. Furthermore, a training battle is going on in Khazad-dûm against the Dwarven Anghak army. It has proven to be an opportunity to test many new thoughts and ideas, and has yielded many valuable experiences for all.

      A new group has also been formed, established by yours truly, a corps of engineers. Their duties will include the building of siege equipment, both for offensive and defensive purposes, and the construction of bridges, defensive structures etc. A training thread can be found in the Army House for those interested.

      At Army Headquarters a few changes have also happened. One is the appearance of a room accessible only for spies; your correspondent was denied access and can thus say nothing more than that he was able to discern laughter and the smell of wine. The healers of the Envinyatindo also have their own room where they are studying new ways of healing and how to improve existing methods, as well as ensuring that healing is offered to all those in need of it.

      The Imladris Military Academy has also changed quite drastically. Several classes have been made into basics, and will be something the students must learn by reading alone. Others, the advanced classes, will be taught by a teacher. Those who are below rank 5 and join the IMA no longer have to wait for graduation before they can join the Army; as soon as they are accepted as cadets, which will be a rank of its own below the normal army member rank, they may then join a regiment right away. Lastly, the Army House has several new threads and more are being planned. More about that in the House Review section.

~Aduchil

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Bards' Guild

       The saddest thing which has reached our Elven ears this month is a message from Weny. The Bards’ Guild and the Plaza has been taking too much time for her, and therefore she has decided leave her position as Hiril Pent (Mistress of Story) in our guild, to get more time for Real Life. Luckily, she will still be Tegilbor (Calligrapher), and keep an eye on our site and all the new members that keep coming to us. Until we find someone new to teach the noble art of Story, our High Bard Galen will take care of Weny’s students.

       In the School of Song and School of Lore, work continues as usual. Hîr Glîr (Master of Song) Soronúmë is busy planning the song contest that will be held at the Bereth Edenidhrinn. Soro will be judging in the contest together with the two other teachers Faele and Silivren, and the bard Annatariel.

       Another contest is our Keeper of the Quill challenge. Each month a new subject is set, and people are encouraged to show their talents in the arts of song or story. Last month the subject was “Love in Arda”, and who doesn’t have a favourite love story? Just think about the beautiful tales of Beren and Lúthien, Tuor and Idril, or one of love between friends like Frodo and Sam. We didn’t get quite enough entries to chose a winner, but you are all most welcome to read the ones we received here.

       Lots of people, of all races, come to us to study Sindarin and Quenya. We’re doing all that we can to encourage them to discover all that the guild has to give. It’s not only a place for studies, it’s a place for singing, dancing and just enjoying yourself too! One of those who will be able to do that even more now is Burzhakh, who has taken all the Quenya lessons and now is Bard of Language. The Daffodil and Newbie Lady of Rivendell — Eithil — has recieved tribute for completing half of the Sindarin lessons. We wish you all luck with the rest of them!

And watch out everyone... Russë is back!

~Annatariel

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Debate Team

       With the Rivendell debaters in Round 3 of 9, things are starting to get a little hectic! It’s been pretty exciting so far, and it looks like a promising start! As the Rivendell debaters get better and better, the competition is growing. Who will win? With Sayoko as the Assistant Captain, definitely a change for the better, it looks like a good chance for Rivvy in Round 3. Cheer on Sayoko, Zach, Inwe, and Gilanna as they debate whether the Valar were wrong to summon the Quendi to Valinor. Rivendell is on the Opposition side, so come on down and cheer for Rivvy at the Shire on March 29th!

~Melanoriel

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Drill Team

       In a Drill Team match, teams from two kingdoms match wits and test each other’s knowledge of the lore of Middle-earth. Rivendell’s Drill Team, The Keepers of the Scrolls, have yet to be defeated!

       As the Drill Team Season nears an end, Rivendell remains hopeful of advancing into the Play-offs. The recent match against the Naugrim of Khazad-dûm ended in a tie. Only one match remains, against our kin in Lothlórien. The team has been strengthened with the additions of Elenear and Feanor Elf, and confidence is high.

       If you are interested in becoming part of the Drill Team, visit the thread in I Adab Athrabeth or the sign-up thread in Rivendell.

~Taramiluiel

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Racing Team

       The Rivendell Interkingdom (IK) Race Team has raced our cheetahs against Badgers, Lava Snakes, Squizzles, Rats and various other assorted creatures from other kingdoms. There has been a series of Interkingdom Races where Rivvy raced against one kingdom each week for seven weeks. Each racer gets seven moves, either an A die roll (6 sided, forward or backwards movements) or B die roll (20 sided with actions). This time we have been fortunate to have such dedicated moderators as Sayoko, Eithil and Shadowwolf, and such enthusiastic racers as Saedrael, Feanor Elf, Ibrantriel, Evinyatar, Iclaulau, Annatariel, Turelie, Mallote, Niquinga, Nimdraug and Tilion of Isil. They have all raced at least once in the seven past races. Out of these we had two winners: Tilion of Isil with her furry, white-dotted cheetah Silá-helf against Fangorn, and Annatariel with her small cheetah Yngwe against The Shire. We won four of our seven games and lost three, but not without a fight. We all had a great time racing and we hope that if you ever want to join in more Rivendell activities, that you will become part of the next team put up for these fantastic races.

Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Race 4 Race 5 Race 6 Race 7
Mordor: 47 Rivendell: 43 White Council: 41.5 Rivendell: 39.5 Fangorn: 20 Rivendell: 35 Lothlorien: 30 Rivendell: 34 Khazad-Dum: 42 Rivendell: 26 Meduseld: 52 Rivendell: 59 The Shire: 41 Rivendell: 50

~Iclaulau

Annals of Imladris

To all the peoples of Middle-Earth, whether ye be fair or foul, stout or tall, light or dark, come one come all! Compete in Rivendell’s New Year Festival! There is something for everyone, and the satisfaction of seeing one’s finest work aired for public viewing in the fairest Valley outside of Valinor.

Here is a list of the competitions:

The contest begins March 27th and will last for a month. It will be our honour to welcome you, so be inspired! Write for yourselves, and create for everyone’s delight.

~ Soronúmë & Taramiluiel

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Unfinished Business

       I have been in Rivendell an entire season already. Yet every time I follow a path through the gardens, I discover another enticing place. This time I heard the sounds of battle, swords clanging, voices challenging, and the quiet hum of a small audience. Knowing the fighters’ hall was over the hill to the South, I had to find out what was going on inside the large structure settled among the trees. I opened the door to a large arena, with a mingling group of watchers on one side and the Imladris Councillor Mor Galad, speaking with a small group, on the other side. This smaller group fascinated me. Among them were several Elves, a Dwarf-maiden and a few members from Mordor. So with wonder I took a seat to watch and learn about this place that I had found.

       Quickly I discovered that this is the Dueling Hall of Rivendell. It is a place of honor and respect for all the peoples of Middle-earth to settle their differences or simply entertain themselves in the ways that they deem necessary. The rules are simple. Entering the hall in a serious manner, you step up to the dueling field and announce your armor, weapons and strengths. Magic may also be used as long as there is a worthy opponent who chooses to use them. You then declare your challenge to any opponent who will accept these terms.

       One such challenge is a duel to first blood between Lilu Pereldar of Imladris versus the striking Vorima from Lothlórien. This is only a taste of their combat:

Vorima: ... He quickly accelerates his lifting up of his sword to his face to deflect the makeshift blade to one side and the dagger to the other. Vorima quickly stabs at Lilu’s arm with the dagger, hoping to slice a cut in the elf’s skin, or to hit the dagger out of her hand.

Lilu: As Vorima parried her double “knife” attack, the blades grated as they slid off each other, the slick smell of ozone in the air. He lunged at her with a knife, aimed straight for her arm. Leaning to the left and moving her right arm down, she gasps as the blade cuts through the material of her sleeve. Fortunately for her, although her garment is ruined, her arm is uncut...

       Surprisingly, the exciting duel between Angrod Earfalas fellow Elf Shadowwolf has been cut short and has left Angrod the winner by default. Shadowwolf took leave of the field for too long, but may return to try to reclaim his honor if he wishes. However, there are several other great duels continuing currently. One is an entertaining battle between Dragonic Nazgul of Mordor and Imladris’ own Ikayla. In another, we have one to the death between Queen Elessar of Mordor and Arániel from here in Imladris. There are also duels involving the Father and Son team of Mor Galad and Talath Dirnen, and the recently-begun duel between the Orc Chieftain Rogue and the wise Istari Scholar Pharazôn. No matter the outcomes of these duels, there is talent and entertainment to be had here in the Hall of Unfinished Business.

~ Silmarwen Ar-Feiniel

       I was walking by The Last Homely House one day when I heard an odd noise coming from behind it. Having heard a bell early I was curious. So I walked into the back of the house to find a crowd of Elves working on a boat... yes... a boat.

       I was thinking that everyone had gone mad, there being no large body of water anywhere near Rivendell, but being quite mad myself, I decided to join in! I walked towards the elves, only to find a note posted to a tree, it read:

The wind has whispered words of need; the same words as the stars above have spoken during night. From everywhere we hear the call:

Build a ship to cross the seas; to sail through raging storm and waves. Build with skill of wood and trees, yet consider this as the building is done: The Ship might sail through raging storm, through shallow water or across the ocean’s deep. Therefore it must lie low in the water and be made both light and strong. Its keel must cut through the water’s tossing waves, and its mast must be both strong and long. Do not make the ship too small or too big; but let there be room for many at need.

And at the very end; weave a sail; white shall it be, with one, green, blooming tree.

~Glorfindel and Elrond

       Full of amazement, wonder, and a certain dread that I couldn’t be of any use, I decided to form a group of elves to work on the masts. I watched in wonder at the strong elves making the planks. I was neither a strong lifter, nor good at cutting wood, so I stayed away, hoping no one would ask me to help them with that particular job. I didn’t feel like making a fool of myself at the moment. Later, a few elves came to help me make the sails. We wove them by hand and embroidered the tree. A grand tree it was, both royal and beautiful!

       Ah, and a grand ship it turned out to be, beautiful, not too large, or too small, and handmade from the sails to the keel. All of this was made by peaceful elves, working together for one cause. One question has yet to be answered. What do we do with it now?

~ Arasriel

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Into the West

       Mandos foretold that the fates of Arda lay locked within the Silmarils; and truly, one ended in the Heart of the Earth, one in the Depths of the Sea, and the last one was set upon the brow of Eärendil; he who sails the Air of the Heavens. These were their doom, but one doom was changed:

       During the Third Age, when the War of the Ring had just begun, some fishermen found a Silmaril in their nets. Not knowing its full potency, they tried taking it to Bree and selling it there. While crossing the Blue Mountains, they were attacked by a group of dwarves, and the jewel was stolen.

       Rumour came to the Elves of these events, and soon a secret council was held where Elrond, Galadriel, Celeborn, Thranduil and Círdan were present. These wise ones decided that they should take this Silmaril back from the dwarves at all costs and take it back to the Valar, as a way of fixing all the damage and hurt of the past.

       After a long journey, filled with hurts and peril for the sake of the jewel, the Elven Army regained the Silmaril at last. But the Doom of the Noldor is upon them; do they have the strength to sail West and defy the counsel of their own hearts? Once they have sailed west, there may be no return... and even the strongest will falter when facing the outer shores of Middle-earth.

~ Laebeth


Of Varda and Melkor
...for Melkor she [Varda] knew from before the making of the Music and rejected him, and he hated her, and feared her more than all the others whom Eru made.” ~ The Silmarillion

       After a time he returned from his wanderings to the fair places that had been made for him and his kind. He was weary with travel throughout the Void and sought solace and comfort amongst the others. As he walked in the gardens his thoughts were eased, and lo! He beheld her whom he had watched from afar many times.
       She sat alone, her eyes closed, lost in thought, and he was moved at her beauty and at the light that shone about her. Gold and silver glowed her raiment, and living pools of colour flickered about her feet. The Light of Creation lived in her countenance, and he felt himself drawn towards her.
       He took a form of friendship and trust, his eyes kindly and blue, his garment plain and unassuming.
       She opened her eyes and smiled as he drew near, and welcomed him to sit alongside. "My Lord,” she said. “Whither hast thou travelled? Long hast thou been missed.”
       “My Lady,” replied he, “I have journeyed far into the Night but have found nothing so fair as thee. My heart tells me I could never know such beauty as that which I behold now. For too long have I been gone.”
       She smiled again. “I thought thy heart was closed to me.”
       “Never so!” he replied. “Accept this token, I beg of thee.”
       He clenched his fist and bent his mind to the vision of her loveliness, and, as he opened his hand, she gasped at the fabulous jewel that sparkled there. It was a diamond that glowed with great beauty. It took her light and blended it with its own to create writhing shapes of living flame. A soft music rose from it, and a sweet fragrance drifted about it.
       “My Lord!” she whispered, overcome. She accepted it from him, and it blazed anew in her hand, the union of his and her Music.
       With shining eyes she looked up to him, but his form had changed. Now he was as a great lord, clothed in splendour and might. His eyes were black and deep, his black hair streaked with silver and emerald light.
       “See how the gem shines when our wills are entwined,” he murmured. “Such Creation could be ours forever. Our kindred would worship us above all others! Accept this gift, and be exalted alongside me!”
       Doubt clouded her eyes and she looked down at the jewel. Its light had lessened at his words when it should have burned brighter still.
       “My Lord, there is One and One alone who is worshipped, and no other. Not even thou, the mightiest of his children. Thy token I cannot accept.” She pressed the stone back into his hand, rose, and glided away.
       He stared after her, his thoughts incoherent, and when he looked again at the jewel, he had crushed it into black dust.

~ Soronúmë

The Army House

       The Army House offers a variety of activities, and more are being planned. Among several longtime activities still going on, there is the smiths’ forge which provides the soldiers with equipment and the barracks where the soldiers live. The sparring area will perhaps undergo changes and emerge as the new training centre, so if you are interested in honing your skills with weaponry, keep an eye out for that. The Envinyatindo clinic continues to function, and the healers are discussing improvements; remember it if you are injured! The Spies are having an RPG in the house as well, although as usual such things are shrouded in mystery. You must take the chance and venture there yourself, if you are curious. A new, permanent thread will be the training grounds for the Engineers. Here, new engineers are trained in both theory as well as the actual construction of siege equipment and other constructions that require the skills of an engineer. These are only things going on right now; several threads are in the planning, including regiment threads and an archery contest. So don’t forget to pay the Army House a visit!

~ Aduchil

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I Adab Maedol

Mae tollen min Adab Maedol ~ Welcome in the House of Welcome. The official pub house of Imladris opened its doors many years ago. Within its delicate elven walls, a pub can always be found. However, that is not all; many have come to celebrate glorious events within Adab Maedol. Our Lady Firerose had her first Plazaversary there. Lady Shadowdawn, the House Mistress, welcomes all the children of Ilúvatar, even the dark creatures of Mordor, with open arms. Business is business, isn’t it? So come to Adab Maedol, have a drink, have a party, have a good time.

~ Lady Shadowdawn

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Bar E-Galad Reniol

       Tucked away in a cozy part of Rivendell you will find Bar E-Galad Reniol, The House of Wandering Light. Though everything is not about light, a waterfall streams beautiful music in the distance. After you look around, you will hear music as you walk over an open archway bridge that crosses over a waterfall to a small platform at the edge of the cliff near the forest. There is a smallish hall situated upon it, and there is a plaque on its door, which reads, “Welcome to the Hall of Arts”. You push the door open to reveal rows and rows of tables, and a hearth at the far end of the hall. At the tables are seated Elves who are scratching at parchment with tall quills, and near the hearth Elves sit with silver harps in their hands, voices raised in song. In yet another corner of the hall there are Elves who are painting pictures. This is one of the great things about this house, says the host, JoyintheDance, and indeed it is beautiful. Elves seem to always be coming and going from this enchanting house, this house that dwells in Rivendell’s outskirts, a house of both beauty and light.

~ Melanoriel

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Feature Articles

       My name is Eruname9. Just yesterday, I strayed off the well-beaten track and came to this wonderful place. Rather overwhelmed by the sheer size of this kingdom and the many activities that are offered, it took me a while to get some idea of the adventure I am about to embark on. I believe Rivendell is perfect for meeting likeminded people, improving my writing skills and studying the many secrets of Middle-earth. These are just a few of the things I am hoping to do here and that I am interested in. I already feel welcome and at home in a way. I am looking forward to life here in Imladris and to many meetings.

~Eruname9

 

This month our intrepid interviewer seeks an exclusive audience in Valinor with the Giver of Fruits (and eater of trolls), the Plaza’s own Yavanna, Miss Luthy!

Firerose: How did you find the Plaza?

Miss Luthy: I was surfing the web looking for Tolkien stuff and came across the 111-quiz led by Bilbo. I kept checking back from time to time, and finally joined in February of 2002

Firerose: How can someone from Mordor take up the role of Yavanna without feeling some kind of treachery?

Miss Luthy: Actually, I am from the White Council. No treachary involved there! It’s more of a treachery what I’ve done with the Yavanna character, really. I started hanging out in Mordor a lot, was actually foolishly entrusted with its care a few times when Grish and Uru (rulers at the time) were away playing (silly boys, what were they thinking), and had a lot of fun growing poison ivy and thorny vines all over the place.

Firerose: Is being married to Sauron-turned-Mandos a challenge sometimes?

Miss Luthy: Oh yes, first it was ‘iron my armor’ and ‘some orcs are coming over for dinner’ (they’ve got the WORST table manners ever). Now it’s ‘honey, there’s a war coming, get the Halls ready.’ I swear, it’s never ending with that man.

Firerose: How did you come up with ‘eaten’ for dealing with spam?

Miss Luthy: I was terribly bored, and rather hungry, really.

Firerose: How did you come up with the Plaza name ‘Luthy’?

Miss Luthy: In the beginning, I had the terribly orginal name of Luthien something or another. But it was so cumbersome, that eventually it got shortened to what it is today.

Firerose: For those that don’t know, Miss Luthy is often called ‘toothy Luthy’ by admirers and friends. Are you really toothy?

Miss Luthy: I have no idea why they call me that *innocent look* I am the picture of everlasting kindness. (can you believe I said that with a straight face?) It was all that time I spent in Mordor, being tortured by one Dark Lord after another. I give credit to Uruloki; he made me the semi-evil Yavanna I am today. Have you seen my lovely vampire icon PG made for me? I love her!

Firerose: How did you come up with the idea for the trivia game?

Miss Luthy: When I first joined the Plaza, we had loads of games in Lore. It was a lot of fun, though eventually it got a little out of control, and started taking over Lore, so the Admins made a rule that games were no longer allowed. I grew nostalgic, and missed the good times, and felt bad for newbies that missed out. So I begged, pleaded, whined and finally threatened the rest of Valinor that I was going to run a couple of game threads for fun. OK, really, I just asked, and they said OK and here we are. Sometimes it’s good to have a little fun.

Firerose: Lastly, how has the Plaza made your life what it is today?

Miss Luthy: Oh, a tough question! Well, I met my husband here, we became good friends at the Plaza, decided to see what RL would be like, and fell in love after we met. We’ve been married for six months now, and in August, our family of 3 will become a family of 4. I guess you could say that my life has been impacted and changed by the Plaza in a huge way.

~Firerose

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ELP

       In the history of our fair Kingdom, the fabled ELP Clinics have a (well-deserved) place between the Bunny Wunny Roastings and Maces-on-Chains. ELP means “Elf Preservation Society”, but the abbrevation “ELP” and how it came to be remains a secret to this day, only known to a select few (ex-)elves who dwelled in Rivendell long ago. Still, Elf Preservation was one of the original purposes of the clinics. Another main purpose was the traditional Elvish insanity, which included mandarins, red women and inflatable suits all stuffed together in one thread. The red woman is another peculiar aspect of the ELP. Not many now remember why a woman, and why a red woman— but that secret is about to be uncovered. Long ago, when Vivienne (the former Poetry Maia) opened another clinic, she meant to cut a “red ribbon” to open the thread ceremonially. Instead, however, she wrote “red woman” (for some obscure, long-forgotten reason), and it has been a tradition ever since. Originally, the Clinics followed upon one another in rapid succession, especially if two or more Elves departed from the fair valley within a short amount of time. But after two long years, the ELP Clinics have become sporadic activities. Its doors are only open to the public a few times a year, and it no longer serves to “preserve Elves”— other Kingdoms’ members widely participate in them, even when they usually never set foot in Rivendell. Still, after two years, the ELP Clinics are as renowned as they were when Andurin and Vivienne dwellt in Rivendell, and they have, as yet, lost none of their potency when it comes to invoking insanity and mayhem in Imladris.

~Arlo Cúthalion

       Greetings one and all. I am bringing you my report live from one of the greatest ever gatherings of artists, storytellers and song weavers. Yes, welcome to Poetry and Fan Fiction! The title may suggest that there are nothing more than a few poems and some tales of our fair Middle-earth. But no, we have tales from every sort of location and poems ranging from haiku to epic ballads on life, love and hate. Artists reveal their many talents designing names, drawing portraits, or even painting landscapes. Many ‘regulars’ to this mighty gathering will recognise the familiar faces of popular writers and the ever present, watchful eyes of the admins. Minstrell takes on the great role of Tom Bombadil, Araweth sings sweetly as Goldberry, and Rohwyn features as Daeron. Of course, there are hundreds of stories, songs and pictures to look at; you may even want to have a go yourself. If a little nervous, why not posting in the poetry café. There is always a poetry café about! It is themed, but you can feel free to post about anything, really. This time it’s Summers in Childhood. There you can see work from new poets to old hands, all of it excellent. Well, thatís all from me. I hope to see you all around PaFF very soon.

~ Rhîn Ariel

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“At the south end of the greensward there was an opening. There the green floor ran on into the wood, and formed a wide space like a hall, roofed by the boughs of trees. Their great trunks ran like pillars down each side. In the middle there was a wood-fire blazing, and upon the tree-pillars torches with lights of gold and silver were burning steadily. The Elves sat round the fire upon the grass or upon the sawn rings of old trunks. Some went to and fro bearing cups and pouring drink; others brought food on heaped plates and dishes.” (Three Is Company, FOTR)

       I have travelled far and wide in Middle-earth and sampled the hospitality of many an inn, pub, or lodging-house, but few can compare to the hospitality of the Wandering Companies. Residents of other lands, or even of the guarded realm of Lórien whose inhabitants seldom leave its borders, may not be familiar with this tradition of the High-elves of Lindon and Imladris. Listen, then, and learn.

       The Elves have been travellers since they first set out from Lake Cuiviénen before the dawn of days to seek the Undying Lands. Since they returned to these shores, they have sought to explore all the lands of Middle-earth. The Wood-elves of Greenwood are fond of riding out and feasting in open glades, but they seldom stray far from home. In Imladris, too, one may find Elves out of doors almost any night of the year, sharing each other’s company under the stars of Elbereth and taking delight in the gardens and mountain paths of the hidden valley. But the folk of Rivendell are much abroad, visiting their kin in Lothlórien, patrolling the passes of the Misty Mountains for orcs, or travelling westward to the Grey Havens at Mithlond. Elves enjoy spending time in the natural world, with which they have an affinity that other races have cause to envy.

       The Halflings of the Shire seldom see these fair travellers passing through their lands, but sometimes they may hear voices on the night breezes, or find a strange jewel glittering in the dust of the road when they are returning from a pub in another village. Bilbo knew of the Wandering Companies and met them sometimes in Chetwood or the copses of Hobbiton. Frodo, Sam, and Pippin were once sheltered by the company of Gildor Inglorion when they were fleeing the Shire. This was a band of High-elves, exiles from the Undying Lands, singing to Elbereth Gilthoniel on their way back from Emyn Beraid. Perhaps you have not heard of that place? There are three hills west of the Shire upon which are set ancient towers. In the tallest of them is a Palantír unlike the rest, one which allows the Noldor to peer westward to their lost home in Aman and sometimes to catch a glimpse of Elbereth or the other Valar.

       Each night upon the road, the Wandering Companies camp under the stars, preferring greenswards and forest glades where they may feast in a living hall of trees. These serve the same purpose for Elves as pubs and the common-rooms of inns do for other races. Torches are hung and a fire lit, and there is good food and drink shared from hand to hand. Harps of silver and haunting voices fill the night with music over six thousand years old. At dawn, the Elves depart leaving no sign of their passing. For mortals, it is difficult to find the paths that lead to such meeting-places. Local place-names sometimes preserve the secret: Woodhall is the name of the village near where Frodo met Gildor.

       The Wandering Companies have become few, as year by year more of the High-elves sail away and leave Middle-earth forever. Yet the custom remains, and I urge you to seek them out. Or, my Elven friends, if you have not left Rivendell for a while, may I suggest you form a company with your household and make a pilgrimage to the Tower Hills? Spring comes, and the stars are bright. The ancient paths stand open to those who remember the way.

~Tinw


Dreams have often passed me by,
Time will not stop for one such as I.
Love has flown from this bed where I sleep.
Lonesomeness is now the only company I keep.


Chances for happiness and joy have been lost
To me at much, much too high a cost.
Life does now move far too fast
Towards that forgotten past.


Ever forward and yet going back
Does this time move that I now lack.
Aspiring to new heights my love did go
And he did leave me here for wont and woe.


Waiting at this very door I will ever stay,
Until my love no longer will stray.
Here at home he will be whole
The other half of my soul.

~Lyna

Tidings from Abroad

Fangorn Well, since my last letter to you, fair elves of Imladris, much has happened in my home, the Forest of Fangorn. Let me tell you a little. Kingdoms which are renowned for their unhastiness can often surprise you.

One such incident is the recent FriENTship Day celebrations held in this forest. On February 29th in the year of the War of the Ring, one Treebeard Fangorn did meet with Meridoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took –, both of the Shire, on a hill in the Forest of Fangorn. So with but a few days until the event was due to start, the residents of the forest proposed ideas. These included Entwood Squares – a form of Tic-tac-toe which was won by Fangorn, with Thom Greenleaf as the MVP, and a Scavenger Hunt open to all races and won by Eamila Bolger of the Shire, with many races taking part. And last but by no means least was the Greenhouse, opened especially so that Hobbits & Ents could greet each other and get to know them better.

Amidst all these specialty events, daily life continued as it always has done. The Treegarth Intro RPG is now drawing to a close; with their memories regained, the members of the TG are now seeking to rescue the hermit Fladrif from the Derndingle where he is being held captive.

Sadness has also visited the forest this month with the respected Ent Telpelome deciding to leave Arda (the Plaza) for an indefinite length of time. She leaves behind her a host of memories and a position as a TG Shep for which a replacement is now being sought.

Mockingbird Mail continued to thrive this month, as have the Entish Homes project and the Entish Dictionary. The Glade of Trivia has progressed with active participation, and the Word Sleuth League teams are working well as a team, in one game concluding with KD and a fresh game starting with MT.

Squizzle racing has gone fairly well with several competitors out for injuries resulting in a need for subs to be found – a task for which several new Entings signed up for with glee.

As always, anyone who visits is welcome and everyone is recommended to walk for a time beneath its trees – you may find something there to tickle your tastebuds in the newly-opened DelikENTsen serving delicious food and drink.

And so I leave you with a final thought: “May your canopies broaden and your roots always find fresh water.”

~ Thom Greenleaf

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Lothlorien

It seems the sun does shine out the clearer, as the story goes. The opening and dedication of the new gardens named Terre d’Oru (Fields of Gold) was cause for a major celebration, as we put the past behind us and looked to the future. The hard work of all the volunteers from all over Middle-earth for the Horticulture Center in Lórien was evident throughout the event. Sorrow was quickly replaced by poems, songs, dancing and delicious food provided by Fangorn’s Catering Service. The enchantment lingered well into the night under the ancient stars.


As we move on, spring is finally here.You can feel it in the water, in the earth, and smell it in the air. Do you want that special someone to feel the same way?
Hint,hint: Why not head over to the Lothlórien Jewelry Association? Here the Designers, Gem Cutters, and Crafters will help you with that perfect necklace, ring or brooch. You might decide to leave with something for yourself. The LJA is open for all races.


Speaking of certain smells in the air, our dear Ally did smell something not quite right. It seems she was lured by a call to the meeting of a certain elf— I think his name was Legorlando or something like that. It was a trap, and she was kidnapped, blindfolded, and thrown into a cart to be hauled off. The Lothlórien elves knew something was not right, as an unusual smell and few Riders were sighted trying to leave the forest rather quickly. The Elves, Wizards and Riders are on the run and apples are flying, as is Master Herdir in pursuit of his lady. Well, I must be going now I have a certain cart to catch before it leaves the forest with our Lady Galadriel...

~Imfalas

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Rohan In Cavalry news, we regret to announce the resignation of our Second Marshal of the Mark, Amhran, but the promotion of Encait to Second Marshal, Malorn to Third Marshal, and Eleowyn to Feldmarshal of the Westmark. With an influx of new trainees, the Cavalry has been playing catch up, adding in several new trainers to the roster and diligent efforts to train approximately 60 new applicants, many of whom are finishing up their training and becoming part of the full ranks of the Cavalry. But growth in the Cavalry has been countered with destruction. Recently the Cavalry has suffered the loss of the Aethelmund, struck by lightning and burnt to the ground. While no lives were lost, several were wounded in the surrounding events. The Aethelmund is currently under construction, while Siolformanu Tavern has served as the Cavalry pub for the wigends taking a break from construction and Inter-Eored training. The Dragon Room was the home of a heated debate also over whether uniforms should be implemented throughout the Cavalry, and if so, what the uniform would entail. The Campian, as always, is open to all kingdoms. All are welcome to sign up, but if you do not wish to fight you can simply pay a visit and watch. And the most recent shop to be opened in the Riddermarket is Silfor Herepadian, a shop that sells fine armory fit for any who journey there.

Inter-Kingdom wise, the Debate team is off to an excellent start, defeating KD in the first round of the IK Debates. The Word Sleuth team is faring well, being the first team to earn the 100 point bonus for using their entire rack of letters for IMMEASURED. The Drill competition is coming to a close after an excellent season; the final round versus Lothlorien will soon finish, and the Drill Tournament is due to start inApril. And in IK racing, the Meduseld team has faced an unfortunate streak of bad luck, but the blonde riders are hopeful that their luck will change for the better as the season draws to a close. Late-breaking news shows a promising lead over Fangorn in the latest round, but you never know what could happen at the unpredictable IK Racing games! Lastly, the winner of the Middle-earth Idol contest in Meduseld is Ele Isenfolme; we wish her luck in the final round.

~Anawen & Alatarwen

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The 
Shire The Shire has kept very busy this last month. We said goodbye to Jenom, who left the Shire after a long stay in the land of Hobbits. We also celebrated with Lora and Prisca as they celebrated their Plazaversaries. There were gifts and well wishes as is our common practice in the Shire on such occasions.

We have several winners of a few competitions in the Shire as well. Eamane won first place in the Shire Idol competition and will now go on to compete in the IK competition. CLBaggins won first place in the Hobbit Ancestory competition with her beautiful and detailed family tree.

The Shire is currently involved in several games and competitions. The Shire Coney team is just finishing up its season, with only two more races to be run. The Debate team has just begun its season, while the Drill team is coming to the end of theirs. The Word Sleuth team has been going strong and is currently competing against the Valar.

The Shire has also started a few new activities and revamped some old ones. If you want to be a part of the excitement, please head over and see what we are up to. We always welcome visitors and love for them to join in on the many things we have going on in the Shire.

~Marigold Took

Crafts, Language and Lore

Rivendell is renowned for the long memories of its loremasters, none surpassing Elrond. But even our younger members pride themselves on their knowledge of history, culture, and Elder Days. So gather your tomes, gather your wits, and sharpen your quill. We invite you to test yourself against one of them in our first

Last Homely Herald Lore Quiz!

(Please note: quiz opens in a new window.)

~Ibrantriel

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Lore Matters

The War of Eregion

       During the Second Age a large number of Elves, primarily Noldor, settled in Eregion. They did this partly to trade for mithril with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, otherwise known as Moria, because the Noldor were great smiths and craftsmen. The greatest of these was Celebrimbor.

       Sauron, who had begun his evil schemes once more, wished to seduce the Elves. Due to his skill with forging, the Elves of Eregion listened to him, not knowing that he was evil. Galadriel and Celeborn the rulers of Eregion were against him, yet Sauron managed to persuade Celebrimbor to revolt and take control of Eregion. He and his fellow smiths then began the forging of the Rings of Power, and in secret Celebrimbor created his masterpiece, the Three Rings. Sauron deceived them, though, and forged the One Ruling Ring by which he could control all the other Rings. The Elves discovered this and refused to use them.

       In response, Sauron summoned a great army and invaded Eriador, the region in which Eregion lay. Celeborn, who had not forsaken Eregion, led a sortie to drive the vanguard of Sauron’s army away, and was successful. Then the main horde arrived, and Celeborn fled north. He joined his forces with those of Elrond; for the latter had been sent by Gil-galad, High King of the Noldor, to aid Eregion. Yet they were still too few to defeat Sauron, and were forced to watch as he conquered Ost-in-Edhil, the capital city of Eregion. The Nine and the Seven Rings were taken by Sauron, after Celebrimbor was tortured to death to reveal where they were. Yet he would not speak of the Three, and Sauron marched north to pursue Elrond and Celeborn.

      There he was attacked in the rear by a force of Dwarves from Moria and Elves from Lothlórien, and Elrond had time to retreat to Imladris which he then founded as a refuge. Sauron left part of his army to besiege Imladris and marched west towards the realm of Lindon, against the city of Mithlond, the Grey Havens, where Gil-galad ruled as High King. Gil-galad and a force of Númenoreans were desperately defending Lindon near the river Lhûn, when suddenly a great fleet sailed in. It had come from Númenor, thousands of ships filled with warriors. Sauron was utterly defeated in two battles and his army annihilated, and he fled east with naught by a few soldiers. Eregion lay in ruins, however, and a new Noldorin stronghold was established in Imladris, ruled by Elrond, and known widely as Rivendell.

(based on “Concerning Galdriel and Celeborn”, Unfinished Tales)

~Aduchil

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A Taste of Elvish

“Now this is not so courteous!”

Being attacked by Dwarves? Had a run-in with a smelly Human? There are times when courtesy simply will not do, and it’s times like those, my friends, when these phrases may come in handy!

Khazad-dûm: Paw am iaeth thairn en-Naugrim! ~ “A plague on the stiff necks of the Dwarves!”

Minas Tirith: Edain uvill. ’orn ned Edain. ~ “Men are weak; there is no honor in Men.”

Rohan: Boe puiad i Firiath Rohan, ath thû roch bell bo hyn! ~ “The mortals of Rohan need to bathe, for a horse stench is strong upon them!”

The White Council: Meleth enin galenas Periannath gwathrant ’uir huin! ~ “Love of the Halflings’ leaf has dimmed their minds!”

The Shire: Periannath... Sy esgiar ’alenas huin a sogar iaulib huin, a istar unad o ardhon! ~ “Halflings...They smoke their pipeweed and drink their ale, and know nothing of the world!”

Lothlórien: Tawarwaith... Sy gladhar a linnar, dan ú-istar naid annaer. ~ “Wood-Elves... They laugh and sing, but have no knowledge of greater things.”

Fangorn: Onodrim... Sy pedir anann dan pedir dithen. ~ “Ents... They speak for a long time but say little.”

Mordor: Ennorath sennui pedir aen orchen ae Gorthaur garn výl ammaer. ~ “All of Middle-earth would instead speak Orkish if Sauron had better slaves.”

~Taramiluiel

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The Lay of Menelhíril

Here follows the Lay of Menelhíril, the maiden whom came from across the Sea, and did deeds few would dare.

In the years of Melkor, the Elder Days,
The great Bliss of Valinor
There dwelt a maiden whom all shall praise,
And she has seen the meaning of war.

Menelhíril! Menelhíril!
Thy beauty rivals even
That of Elbereth and Tinúviel!

Her lineage few now know
Nor of her age.
And she has the wisdom of a sage
The memory of thee shall always glow

Menelhíril! Menelhíril!
Thy hair is of gold
And thy eyes of stars!
A sight that few now behold
A light now we wish was ours!

Across the great Sea she came
With desire to see Mortal Lands,
To lands in which she had little fame,
And she landed on the Endor sands.

Many plans had she devised
She came with the Vanyar in disguise
Clad in armor she prepared for the War of Wrath
Her plans would succeed if she chose this path

Menelhíril! Menelhíril!
Thy hair is of gold
And thy eyes of stars!
A sight that few now behold
A light now we wish was ours!

Fëalad, the white horse,
On him into the battle she rode
Here would be decided her fate‘s course
On this terrible road

She fought tirelessly and long
For the Noldor were her teachers
It seemed that she could do no wrong
And she slaughtered many foul creatures

Menelhíril! Menelhíril!
Thy hair is of gold
And thy eyes of stars!
A sight that few now behold
A light now we wish was ours!

In the midst of the battle Sauron came
And conquered many in his course
Great warriors he put to shame
With great and terrible force

Then Menelhíril lay in his way
And in his wrath he came upon her
She he chose for his prey
More horrific he was than many that were

Menelhíril! Menelhíril!
Thy hair is of gold
And thy eyes of stars!
A sight that few now behold
A light now we wish was ours!

He swung his great sword
With its great black blade
Which gave her fear of this lord
But Fëalad’s courage did not fade

He leaped out of reach
With Menelhíril on his back
His coat silver as bark of beech
Then Menelhíril prepared for attack

She jumped off the horse
And bade him leave
Quickly she thought of her course
Her goal would be hard to achieve

She took up a shield
And Sauron struck again
Easily he made the barrier yield
And the stroke brought her great pain

The shield was shattered
And her arm was cut
Menelhíril’s senses scattered
And all of her thoughts shut

Sauron deemed her defeated
And went on to other combat
And it was true her courage was depleted
Sauron killed another Elves six

Lastly a Vanyar
Of the six he had slain
Anger came to her like a star
For this was Sauron’s bane

In her heart anger festered
She drew Aklarnárë, the great sword
From her other weapons it had been sequestered
Menelhíril’s courage was restored

She charged at Sauron
And she thrust the mighty blade
His right side it came upon
Great pain it had made

Sauron threw Menelhíril
To the ground
With all his will
She was thrown ’round

Then her helm flung off
Her braids undone
Her beauty few would scoff
Her hair gleamed in the sun

Menelhíril! Menelhíril!
Thy hair is of gold
And thy eyes of stars!
A sight that few now behold
A light now we wish was ours!

Then Menelhíril fell into darkness
And Sauron fled in pain
Where he went few now guess
And there lay Menelhíril nearly slain

In that hour Eärendil came with light unsurpassed
And all the enemy perished or fled
The War had passed
And when she awoke the healers came to tend the almost dead

The maiden’s face cold and chill
Many remedies and medicines they used
Then finally healed was Menelhíril
And she was utterly confused

Her memory she regained
And remembered all that had passed
And all was explained
Then the Host of Valinor regrouped and massed

But whether Menelhíril went with the host
None now know
For she returned to Endor’s coast
But it is not told where she would go

Menelhíril! Menelhíril!
Thy hair is of gold
And thy eyes of stars!
A sight that few now behold
A light now we wish was ours!

Thus ends the Lay of Menelhíril, and of her fate only the Valar know.

~Alatarwen

Puzzles and Games

Mystery Code

The Elves delight in the devising of different systems for representing words. The object of this puzzle is to decipher the phrase. Each letter represents another letter of the alphabet and the relationship between the letters is constant. For example, the “E” would always represent another letter, like “H,” it would never be “H” in one place and “C” in another.

Example:

     EPYE PC WYLC (code)
     THAT HE CAME (decoded)

 

ARXD NB ARX ZNDJ LIDDTA EX FXSA BZTO RNO BTZ XKXZ EV CAZXDJAR, AHT ARNDJC TDGV ZXOIND BTZ MC AT IAAXOSA: AT CXDP NA TKXZ ARX CXI, TZ AT PXCAZTV NA.    — Glorfindel

 

Have fun figuring out the message!

~Inwe Lythian

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Riddles

A riddle for you.
(answer in credits below)

What is clear,
yet foggy,
colored,
yet colorless,
cold,
warm,
friendly,
or mean,
mirrored,
yet clear,
hungry,
painful,
and heart-warming?

~Arasriel

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Across
1. Bilbo’s Heir
2. Across from Carchost
3. Enhanced Trolls
4. City of Finrod Felagund
5. Son of Borin, a king under the Mountain
6. Mordor’s Entrance
7. Gandalf in Valinorean
8. Captain of Theoden
9. Sam’s Wife
10. One of the Eldar
11. “Gate” in Quenya
12. ______ Hayward, of Buckland
13. _____________ Dale, Gate or Stair
14. The land in which Rivendell is
15. Eru’s Creation
16. Skin-changer
17. How the Eldar crossed the ocean
18. Ruled Gondor before Stewards
19. Slave of the dark lord
20. Elrond to Elrohir
21. A moon letter: ________
22. Between Beren and Luthien
23. When Arien is in the sky
24. The tolerated wind
25. From Rivendell __ Mordor
26. Helm’s ______DIKE
27. Number to Rule them All
28. Eagle homes
29. Elvish “Day”
30. _______helm
31. Gandalf ______ them through Moria
Down
1. Wounded Morgoth
2. Brother of Haldir and Rumil
3. Aragorn’s Horse
4. “Farewell” among High Elves
5. Dwarf City in the Blue Mountains
6. _______ Heathertoes, of Bree
7. Settlement of Durin’s folk, east of Mirkwood (2 words)
8. Province, SW of Minas Tirith
9. Most powerful dragon
10. Cave-hewer
11. Home of the Barrow wights
12. Necromancer’s Fortress
13. Moria to Men (Westron)
14. Animals of Rohan
15. 4th Day of the Eldarin week
16. Bane of Smaug
17. Family
18. Tree Shepherds
19. “Goldfather,” Merry’s grandfather
20. Gil-galad’s Ring
21. Pre-Reforged
22. Home of Orthanc
23. Land of the Valar
24. ________ of Leithien
25. Symbol of House, or top of wave
26. The Old ________

~Inwe Lythian

Humor

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The Lay of Imladris

The continuing memoirs of Lord Eyebrows. Please see the March Issue of the Herald for Part the First.

Part the Second

There Pippit came from England cold,
Still lost Elves wandered under leaves,
And where the mandarins and maces rolled
Elrond started wondering
He peered into the minds of Elves
Creating strategy and semi-tidiness
Upon her head was now frown
The name of “pruneface” ever following

~Arlo Cúthalion            

Credits

  • Guilds and Organizations
    • Army Report: Aduchil
    • Bards’ Guild: Annatariel
    • Debate Team: Melanoriel
    • Drill Team: Taramiluiel
    • Racing Team: Iclaulau
  • RPGs and Special Events
    • New Year’s Festival: Soro & Tara
    • Hall of Unfinished Business: Silmarwen
    • I Gair Veleg ~ The Great Ship: Arasriel
    • Army RPG ~ Into the West: Laebeth
  • Homely Houses
    • The Army House: Aduchil
    • I Adab Maethol: Lady Shadowdawn
    • Bar E-Galad Reniol: Melanoriel
  • Feature Articles
    • Newbie Perspective: Eruname9
    • ELP Clinics: Arlo
    • Poetry and FF: Rhîn Ariel
    • The Wandering Companies: Tinw
  • Tidings From Abroad
    • Fangorn: Thom Greenleaf
    • Lothlórien: Imfalas
    • Meduseld: Anawen and Alatarwen
    • The Shire: Marigold Took
  • Songs and Stories
    • Elrond’s Song: Annatariel
    • Of Varda and Melkor: Soronúmë
    • Untitled poem: Lyna
    • The Lay of Menelhíril: Alatarwen
  • Crafts, Lore, and Language
    • Lore Quiz: Ibrantriel
    • Lore Matters: Aduchil
    • A Taste of Elvish: Taramiluiel
  • Puzzle and Games
    • Cryptogram: Inwe Lythian
    • Riddles: Arasriel
      • answer: eyes
    • Crossword Puzzle: Inwe Lythian
  • Humor
    • Lay of Imladris: Arlo Cúthalion
  • Artwork
    • Celtic knotwork: Anawen
    • Dragonfly seal: Erin
    • Kingdom stamps: Silarvalla
    • misc. ink drawings: Tinw
  • Note: Previous issue may be found here.

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    Everyone be sure to wish Earymir a happy birthday on March 29th! And as always, thank you all so much for your contributions and help. ~ Tinw

    "When the road gets bumpy, you just got to keep in going, because success is on the other side." -Eary