Note: The following magic symbol returns you to the top of the scroll:

In round 3, of this year's debate competition, Ents are coming to Imladris, confident they can beat the host. Yet we know we have excellent members who will do everything in their power to win.

The topic will be something about the trolls Bilbo met on his way to Lonely mountain, or so I have heard form a source. I wish the best of luck to both teams.

~ Númellóte

We have come to the end of Season 6 of the IK Drilling league. It has been a long yet exciting season of lore skills bursting throughout this part of Arda.

As you may know, the Imladris team did not make it to the final, but they gave their best. The final match is currently being held in our kingdom and the ones who made it to the final step are the teams from Lothlórien and Minas Tirith. Before I began to write this article, the game was still going, and believe me, it is a very close match. We wish luck to both teams and may the best win!

Don't miss the next edition to find out who won the sixth IK Drill championship!

~ Númellóte

Elven Artists Association

The New EAA is not that new anymore and most of the elves showing their artwork there have gotten used to the modifications. As we have gotten used to over the years, there is a theme going on for some period of time. The theme "Make it clear!" was up last month already and in March some entries were added to the contest.

Lori drew a picture of Gondolin, whilst Isiliel took the challenge of drawing Gimli’s Double Bladed Axe. Previous entries include Aragorn (by Arvellas), Orthance (by Istawen) and Elrond (by Tari). The winners of the ongoing competition will be announced together with the next theme.

If you have got something lying around in your drawers, don’t just leave it there. You are welcome to share every piece of art that you have created. The EAA is a great way to publish your work to a smaller group of people and get feedback from them. If your work is not in sync with the ongoing competition, remember, you are still welcome to publish it.

Have a paintbrush!

~ Istawen

The winter still lies over Imladris. The snow lies everywhere and will not yet go away. The party of metal-hunting Elves has entered the mountains and made it until now without accidents. Yet the howls of wolves in the vicinity keep them alert and make the horses nervous. By the brink of nightfall Quennar and Fuin decide to make camp to rest the horses.

The joy of stretching out around the fires and consuming a good evening meal doesn't last long. All of a sudden angry bodies with sharp teeth are sweeping out over the camp, snapping at any food they can catch as well as attacking the living creatures around, both Elves and horses. Desperately the Elves grasp for their weapons and with valour and fear they fight their animal attackers to save both themselves and their horses. Among the fighting Elves is Mar-Evayávë who gets wounded badly and after the unfair fight the smiths with healing experience bow over her to care for her wounds.

Quennar and a few others take care of the dead wolves, lying spread throughout the camp. With effort they collect the dead wolves, dig a deep hole in the ground and throw them in. After that the Elves gather around the fires to wait for daylight and the time to break up camp. A long journey lays ahead of them before they reach the mines. The question of what might await them there, remains yet unanswered.

Would you like to join and help us on this perilous journey? Come on then! The greatest part of the tale is yet to come.

~ Aikari

Spring has finally erupted all over the valley of Imladris and signs of it are visible everywhere. Where trees and bushes had only bare branches, flowers now crown them with all majesty. If you look closely under the flowers you can see the first signs of light green leaves appearing from brown protective shells. In about four weeks most bushes and trees will be fully green again, giving the promise for the summer to come.

Despite these signs of spring some sad news has come out. Minestor Ancalima has decided to retire after a long time of care and service and gave the ruling stick over toward her co-healer Idhwen. Idhwen had functioned already as temporary Tanestor for a time. Now with the Tanestor seat empty a new member has stepped forward from the ranks of master healers, Númellótë. In honour of her nomination the healers and apprentices are sharing a little feast together, until new wounded will arrive. As the business is pretty frequent in the house, it is to be expected soon.

As always we are always looking for new taidhrim, so if you want to take your first steps into healing, go over to the office and ask for a test. Minestor Aikári or Tanestor Númellótë are there to help you with instructions.

~ Aikari

Poetry Team report

Imladris is hosting round 7, first match in third season of IK poetry competition.. Teams from Minas Tirith, Isengard, Khazad-dum, Fangorn and Lothlórien have beeen greeted with warm welcome by the residences of the Valley. We cannot predict who will be victorious, but what we for sure know is that it will be tough, for these are all fine poets. Our teams has gone to the Shire to face masters of words from Mordor, Riddermark and the hometown folk. We wish all participants good luck, and may the best team win!

~ Númellóte

Another racing season, now finished. Though the competition had been fierce, the cheetahs continued to enjoy their lead, and finished up in second place for the second season in a row. After many seasons stuck squarely in the middle of the Middle-earth teams, Imladris was finally holding its own. Feet flying, dust rising behind them like a cloud, the cheetahs could not be stopped.

Now the final races of the season had arrived, and once again, the giant spotted cats were in the front of the pack. To the Derby and Race of Winners, a Race of Losers had been added to the series in recent months. This race was made up of all racers who had finished last in a competition; the goal was to learn who was the slowest animal in all of Middle-earth's many racing teams. Three cheetahs competed for this... honor, but only one could "win". Ealena's Sandy managed to meander around the track, perhaps stopping frequently with feline disdain to nap or even take a bath. However she managed, Sandy received the lowest score in the race and brought great... uh, glory to her team.

Meanwhile, at the Race of Winners, several cheetahs ran for the glory of winning and the greater glory of Imladris. The runners were the fastest animals in all of Middle-earth, and competition was fierce. With the astounding last-minute burst of speed for which our beloved cats are known, Nenuphar's Tumbleweed managed to charge ahead and tie with a racing snake from Mordor known as Theodora.

Finally, the Derby was the usual chaos of runners and teams from every kingdom except Valinor (whose emus had been suitably intimidated in other competitions and refused to show). Somehow no one managed to eat any of the other racers or even run them over, and the final results were close. Lothlorien and the Riddermark tied for first, and Imladris came in second place with a score that was only one point lower. A win would have been nice, but a solid second was nothing to sneer at.

Contented, the racers padded softly back to their racing stables (pausing on the way for some of the hunting and frolicking they had so nobly foregone during the season) to rest and recuperate before the next season.

~ Nenuphar

Kingdom Events

SCRs of the month... or maybe not!

There was the sound of bells pealing with joy through the silent morning of the valley. It sounded through, disturbed the rests of some, but no one seemed to mind. The bells were sounded in times of danger and celebration, but the Elves of Rivendell all knew that this peal resonated with joy and peace that could only be tied to that of the honour of some of their very own Elven friends.

"Friends," Elrond says, "Today it is time to honor two Elves of our fair home, both of whom have long served with dedication in quiet or very public ways." Ealena and Merl Moriestiel were chosen by Lord Elrond and Glorfindel to select a token of honor thanking them for their hard work in Imladris. After much thought Merl chose to wear the ring Vilya, while Ealena received Valasse Varda

Indeed, as the Lords would say, we should praise them with great praise. Eglerio hyn!

~ Adapted by Nenuphar from an original article by Keleos Nenharma

IK Poetry Report

With the ongoing events and rounds taking place each month, I find myself having to let you all know that I've resigned my position on council due to personal issues. Although I am sad about this, times call for such things when you least expect them, even though you love something a lot. That being said, I may continue to bring these reports to you, in hopes of keeping all updated on the seasonal competitions. Both Shirefolk and Alexya are doing a super job and each match is going smoothly. It's our hope that all teams will ease into the end of the season with bright hopes, and with dreams for the new season at this one's ending. Moving onward, Round 6 brought out some new and challenging forms, as well as an interesting theme. Match one consisted of MT, Fangorn, Lothlorien, Mordor, and the Shire and was held in the White City. Match 2 consisted of Riddermark, Isengard, Imladris and KD. Here were the forms.

Pantoum

Swap Quatrain

~ Goldmoon Dunami

Greetings, noble hero! As always, it is my duty to inform you of recent happenings at the Isengard tower. As the fair tradition goes on, this month was exciting and full of tricky surprises.

First of all, the event which marked March as a month of joy was Wizarf Day. Yes, bearded Dwarves and bearded Wizards (at least most of them are) decided to spent some quality time together. At one place an eating competition was held and it was a funny thing to watch. All those Dwarves eating various things and letting some of that food out of their stomachs was exciting. Too much noise at one place, as I would say. At another location, an axe throwing contest was going on. It was a dangerous place to be with all those axes flying all over the place. Some of them went straight into trees, bushes, and even rocks. It all went well until the Dwarves and Wizards started to show their toes to others...yeah people say that a few drinks could do nasty things to anyone`s brains, even the Wizards. As of the writing of this article, the crazy meeting was still in progress and will last for some time.

The Tower of Games seem to be gathering more and more people, including visitors from the Shire and Khazad-Dum, or so I was told. Many wonderful people were playing tricks with their minds and playing with the wits of others. There were always interesting questions to be asked and more answers to be told in return. One day, there were many Easter eggs hidden all around Isengard by nasty Mr.Daywalker. Wizards were searching for those eggs as they were promised a handsome reward for each one that was found.

Now, let me show you the names which were chosen to be the most prominent faces in Isengard this month:

* Elles BlackAdder - awarded with the white mane of Shadowfax (SCR)
* Lotryn - the greasy hair and pale face of Grima (SCR)
* Morgray - the mystic moon of Tilion (ATR)

Varkin, Readers of the Herald!

This month, Isengard and Khazad-dûm have joined their efforts to celebrate the Wizarf Day! What is the Wizarf Day, one may ask? Well, the answer is simple! It was March 15, 2941 of the Third Age that Gandalf met Thorin at Bree, a meeting that would change the fortunes of the House of Durin and create strong bonds between the two kinds.

Therefore, if you have the chance of passing by any of the Kingdoms, you will certainly notice many new stalls, caves, and tents, reminding everyone of the importance of this event. You may test your axe-throwing skills, show everyone how good you are with fireworks, retrace the steps of Gandalf and Thorin around the village of Bree, or simply have a drink at the pubs; it’s your call.

In order to solve the old problems concerning the Anghak, King Nain has gathered all officers and soldiers interested in debating the future of the Army, proposing to them a new conception of the Army: Instead of a large organization, turn the Anghak into a smaller force, the Royal Guard, which, in times of need, would train and equip all the capable population of the Kingdom to answer threats and attacks. The scheme has been accepted and agreed upon and once some details are refined, the new arising of the Guard will be announced.

If you visit Khazad-dûm, you will also notice that a few new shops have been opened at the Marketplace and there are more which are being worked out to open their doors soon. With the increase of the amount of customers, business is doing well, with more and more foreign traders interested in dealing with the Dwarves.

However, it isn’t only the Morket that is growing. After long years of absence, the members of the Dwarvini Family have gathered once more and have unlocked their doors to new members. if you are a Dwarf and you are looking for fast and easy gold, your presence is more than welcome. In case you don’t belong to the race of Durin, you can always join the Family as an affiliated member. This rebirth will bring power and wealth to all the loyal Dwarvini members who are willing to do everything in honor of Torkhuzd, the Don.

Finally, I would like to address one last word of encouragement to the Badgers that have departed all over Middle-earth to compete in the after-season races. After a fine season, ending up at the middle of the final standings, the furry racers of Khazad-dûm are now seeking glory and fame in the last races of the current season, with representatives in the three of them.

So, eager to find out all this news? I hope so! We will be waiting for you at the Halls of Khazad-dûm!

A sort of calm seems to have fallen over Lothlórien for good, and it appears that all of us Galadhrim are fully enjoying it as much as possible.

Though by no means has anything that usually tends to occur in the Golden Wood paused or come to a stop; the craze that at times is witnessed with a large amount of visitors, or due to feasts, is at the moment mute. The Gardens, the Hollow of Gatherings, and the lovely Talan of Poetry have been receiving their loyal visitors, and even some new ones, to add to the ambience of serenity as spring begins to arrive in the kingdom.

And while the Lothlórien poetry team was starting to recuperate its Muses--for surely, after each match they take a little trip before a new one commences--due to the slightly lower than normal score that they had received in the last Round, a new activity started. For all of those in the Guard that might have wished to exercise their powers in such an area, Nulda Elbilin offered the perfect recourse, and the activity seems to have been more than well received.

After all has been said and done, what shall the upcoming month bring?

Suilad mellyn nin, Westu hal, and to all of you, spring wishes this wonderful day. In keeping up with the ongoing events here in the lands of the Horse Lords, It's taken some time to compile these things due to many changes, comings and goings. As spring is breaking through, life has sprung forth on the fields of Rohan. It is perhaps not as lively as we'd like, as are most other lands, but we feel it's just a wind of change, which will soon step back into a more fluid motion soon enough. Our lands are so rich and abundant in wares, and our Riddermarket is one of the best for buying leather goods, armoury, and even food items that can't be found elsewhere. We take pride in those shops which have seen many customers come and go. Some events have been causing our Patrollers a bit of worry. They have been stepped up to make sure you are all safe to peruse the vicinity, knowing that your safety is our number one thought. For this month, our Rider of the Month award went to a well known lady, Talaika. She has (as First Marshal) new endeavors under her wings, among others that of organising many well thought-out plans for our cavalry's future, along with myself and Firimar. Having done so much in her seasons here, the award came as a bit of a surprise, but was well worth the effort.

Here are some of the spring events, or festivals if you will, that went on this month; many had visitors from all kingdoms. The Tournament had three events which were Targets, The Quintain, and the Joust. In the Targets competition there were 10 targets, five in a straight line and five in a zig-zag, and posts were judged on quality, realism, subject knowledge, and interest. Next came the quintain, which consisted of 10 targets in the same pattern as the first event. The last competition was a joust which most of us are familiar with already. This went until only one person was left. Then a Medieval Feast where food and merriment abounded. Run the Gamut was a game which caught the attention of many; running through traps to get to the end seems a lot easier than it actually is. We also had a Fox Hunt and a Great Labyrinth to enjoy, which kept many festival folks quite entertained.

In a bit of Cavalry news, we've seen new Cavalry Knight badges showing up as the training for these gave riders more in-depth knowledge of how to be a better skilled cavalier. Getting all nine of these, in different catagories, lets you be known as a Cavalry Knight, something special in our Lands. This month "cooking and food" as well as "advanced fire skills" were the newest ones, with "shelters" brought out again for those who missed it the first time. And that, for this rider, now that she's out of breath, will bring us to a close. Have fun reading and thank you for allowing me to let you see what's happening over in the lands of the Horse Lords.

The Shire this month saw a time of getting to know our fellow Middle-earth folk as FriENTship day was upon us once again! FriENTship day marks the occasion when our own Merry and Pippin first met Treebeard in Fangorn Forest, and so to celebrate we hold several fun games, RP threads and other nonsense in both Kingdoms. In the Shire we had a twist on our "Who Am I" game. Instead of guessing which Middle-earth character it was, we were guessing which Plaza character it was. It proved to be quite popular, and perhaps a little more difficult than it first appeared. We also had a game of Mad Libs, run by the wonderful Feiniel, which you really must look at to appreciate. It seems that as time goes by those Mad Libs get crazier!

Feiniel was also busy running a game of Ring Toss. But this was no ordinary game of ring toss; you had to aim at the branches of an Ent. Yet it didn’t stop there! With each throw you had to aim for a low, middle, or high branch, and with the throw you had to answer a question. it wasn’t an easy game, but lots of folk from all over signed up to play. The game is still going on and currently there is a clear leader, Dragon-helm from Rohan, with Lori from Imladris in second place and Alhana and Finny in third. But who will be the winner by the end? You’ll just have to stop by and find out.

Not content with running two extremely time-consuming games, Feiniel was also responsible for the reopening of the Green Dragon pub, a long-standing favorite. She is not allowing you to come in and sit idly; she is looking for Limericks. It took people a while to pluck up the courage, but finally they started. The pub is still open if you want to drop by for ale and to try your hand at some short rhyming fun.

Elsewhere in the Shire there were some old faces and old threads returning. Istya Alassea returned after being away for far too long. She and the Shirefolk have taken over the running of the Strawberrystar, so if you need any drinks for your Spring or Summer parties, but sure to drop by and get your orders in early. And our dear Mayor Miri gave us all a place to enjoy the mild spring weather when she reopened Needlehole Meadows. I highly recommend you to stop by.

Yes, indeed things were wonderful in the Shire this month, and they only stand to get better. You might find a few surprises in the coming months, so if you get a chance, come visit us! That’s all from the Four Farthings for now.

Lore: Tar-Vanimeldë

Tar-Vanimeldë was the third and the last Queen of Númenórë, after Tar-Ancalimë and Tar-Telperiën. Her name, translated from Quenya, means "Beautiful Beloved".

She was born in the year 2277 of the Second Age, daughter of Tar-Telemmaitë, and her ruling lasted for 111 years. Although she was queen, she did not care much about her people and land, being far more interested in music and dance. While she was having fun, her husband Herucalmo ruled instead. After her death in year 2637, Herucalmo ruled under the name of Tar-Anducal, denying their son, Alcarin, his title as the rightful heir to the throne. After his death, his name wasn't listed among the Kings of Númenóre, yet his son's was, as seventeenth king.

~ Númellóte

Quenya Future Tense

Yes, yes, it is that time. Again. So sharpen your brains and let us start with a new lesson, which is very simple.

Quenya has one ending expressing true future tense: ending –UVA. It is applied to both primary and A-stem verbs.

When referring to primary verbs, the rule is to add the ending –uva to a verb:

Hir- ("to watch") + -uva = hiruva

Mer- ("to want, wish") + -uva = meruva

When dealing with A-stems, procedure is almost the same. Here the final "a" drops out and then –uva is attached to a verb, like this:

Linda- ("to sing") > lind + -uva = linduva

Rhuta- ("to scare, terrify") > ruht + -uva = ruhtuva

Yet A-stem verbs have one exception. When the vowel "a" is the only vowel in a word, it will not drop out, but will remain, and then ending –uva will be attached.

Na- ("to be") + -uva = nauva (not nuva!!!!!)

It seems that future tense verbs receive the ending –R for plural.

Example: eleni siluvar = stars will shine.

In the end I will inform you about a curiosity regarding the verbs "enquantuva" (shall refill) and "quantuva" (shall fill). Removing "en", we will have "quantuva". How did this "n" come up if the verb "to fill" is "quat-"? Does this mean that "quantuva" is related to past tense (quantie) which is formed by nasal infixion plus the ending "e"? Meaning that all who form past tense in that manner should have "n" included in the future tense, like: "mantuva" (shall eat), past tense "mante"? Or are "quat-" and "quanta-" separate verbs? Who shall know…

With help from Ardalambion

~ Númellóte

Rainbow Skies

The gentleness of the raindrops, that fall upon the earth,
gives a calming effect, a bringer of rebirth.
The clouds you see overhead, all puffy and white,
those are just the beginnings, of a wondrous sight.

Here the rainbow shines, colors all dressed in hue,
red, yellow, green and orange, even mighty blue.
As the raindrops seem to weaken, the skies get all clear,
alas, my friends 'tis time, when that mystery does appear!

She starts out quite shyly, peeking just through the clouds,
then as they all move over, her destiny unveils.
They sometimes call her beautiful, romantic, yes serene,
a Rainbow Sky always means, this earth has been clean.

To see the color yellow, which reminds me of the sun,
takes me back to longer days, having loads of fun.
The color orange, which is like a harvest moon,
as the days go to night, this one makes one swoon.

Now to look upon the fairest green, warm and yet so kind,
sends a vision of trees I've seen, or the wandering vine.
Then with a smile, that pinkest red thats loved so much,
tells of many days of candy, perhaps a lovers touch.

Which brings me now to blue, soft as the gentle sky,
this color here my friends, is the reason why.
For behind all that mystery, a legend all her own,
first there must be water, to see her beauty shown!

~ Goldmoon Dunami

Guilds and Organizations Debate Team: Númellóte IK. Drill Team: Númellóte EAA: Istawen Tingdain: Aikari Gwaith in Nestoer: Aikari IK Poetry Team: Númellóte IK Racing Team: Nenuphar Kingdom Events SCRs of the month!: Nenuphar Feature Articles IK Poetry Overview: Goldmoon Dunami Tidings From Abroad Isengard: Morgray Khazad Dum: Tornihyanda Lothlórien: Alhana Riddermark: Goldmoon Dunami The Shire: Estel Underhill	Crafts, Lore, and Language Annuminas: Númellóte Quenya: Númellóte Creative Submissions Rainbow Skies: Goldmoon Dunami Artwork Titles and background: Tinw Ink sketches: Tinw Eagle and Cheetah sketches: Ellitare Kingdom stamps: Silarvalla
Back Issues: March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December Double Issue • February • March • April • May • July Double Issue • September • October • November/December Double • January • February • March • April • May • June • August • September • October • November/December Double • February - Valentiniels's Special • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November With gratitude to each and every one of our contributors, for all your efforts to record and bring to life the magic of Imladris and of the plaza. Fond memories, fun times, a great paper: we are so proud and honoured to be able to put the Herald together - thanks to you! ~Nenuphar, Arvellas, and Mar-Evayávë, co-Editors