#- Best gifts for Tolkien fans

[outofthislaptop]

The Ultimate Adventure Awaits: Conquer Middle-earth with The Lord of the Rings Strategy Board Game

Are you ready to don your cloak, grab your sword, and journey into Middle-earth? The Lord of the Rings Strategy Board Game by Fantasy Flight Games brings the epic tales of Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn right to your tabletop. Perfect for 1-5 players aged 14 and up, this cooperative adventure is your ticket to a 60+ minute deep dive into Tolkien’s legendary world. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or new to the realm of strategic board games, this adventure promises excitement, camaraderie, and maybe a little second breakfast.

But what makes this game worth embarking on an epic quest? Let’s explore.

Why ChooseThe Lord of the Rings Strategy Board Game**?**

1. Cooperative Gameplay – It’s Not All About You, Frodo

Unlike competitive games where alliances crumble faster than Isildur’s resolve at Mount Doom, this board game is about teamwork. Each player takes on the role of a member of the Fellowship, working together to thwart Sauron’s evil plans. If you think you can be the lone wolf like Aragorn, think again—this is Middle-earth, not the Wild West.

Cooperative gameplay means that Gandalf’s wisdom, Legolas’ accuracy, and Sam’s unwavering loyalty can combine to overcome the darkest challenges. Miscommunication, however, might leave you feeling like Pippin in Moria (hint: don’t touch the skeletons).

2. Faithful to Tolkien’s World

This game doesn’t just slap the name The Lord of the Rings on a board and call it a day. No, sir! Fantasy Flight Games poured love and detail into every aspect. Fans will appreciate the intricate illustrations of locations like Rivendell and Mordor, as well as the faithful character abilities that make you feel like you’re truly part of the Fellowship.

For example, Frodo’s strengths include resilience, while Gandalf wields his immense wisdom (and beard) to guide the team. Just don’t expect Boromir to resist the allure of the Ring—some things never change.

3. Perfect Balance of Strategy and Luck

This isn’t Monopoly. (Although, wouldn’t Hobbiton real estate be adorable?) To succeed in The Lord of the Rings Strategy Board Game, you’ll need brains, brawn, and a bit of luck. The game features a unique system where players must carefully manage resources and make pivotal decisions, often under pressure.

The random element comes from card draws and dice rolls, keeping gameplay fresh and unpredictable. Will Gandalf save the day with a clutch spell, or will a bad roll send the Fellowship spiraling into chaos? Only time will tell.

How to Play Without Feeling Like Gollum Lost in a Maze

At first glance, the board may look like Saruman’s to-do list, but fear not! The mechanics are simple enough for newcomers, while still offering depth for experienced players.

Setup: Choose your character and arrange the board, complete with locations, event cards, and Sauron’s looming presence.

The Journey Begins: Travel through Middle-earth, facing challenges, battling enemies like orcs, and resisting the temptation of the One Ring.

The Ring’s Burden: Manage corruption levels—too much greed, and you’re toast (or worse, Gollum).

Victory Conditions: Either destroy the Ring in Mount Doom and claim victory, or watch Sauron laugh maniacally as darkness takes over.

Pro Tip: Don’t let the Ring-bearer (probably Frodo) wander off alone. It never ends well.

What Makes This Game Stand Out?

1. Solo Mode: Be Your Own Fellowship

If your friends are busy binge-watching The Rings of Power, fear not. This game’s solo mode lets you control multiple characters, guiding them through challenges as if you’re directing your own epic movie.

Playing solo is surprisingly fun and immersive, offering a way to enjoy your own epic adventure even if the rest of your Fellowship is on a break.

2. Replayability – Endless Adventures Await

No two games are the same. With multiple characters, randomized events, battles, and a variety of paths to victory, The Lord of the Rings Strategy Board Game ensures hours of entertainment. It’s like rereading Tolkien’s books but with plot twists you didn’t see coming.

3. Gorgeous Components

Let’s talk about aesthetics. From the finely detailed miniatures to the vibrant game board, every piece feels like a work of art. You’ll almost want to frame the components instead of playing with them. (But seriously, play the game—it’s worth it.)

Who Will Love This Game?

1. Tolkien Fans

Are you the kind of person who can quote The Silmarillion in your sleep? Do you cry every time you hear “The Breaking of the Fellowship”? This game is your dream come true.

2. Strategy Enthusiasts

If you love flexing your brainpower and outwitting the odds, the strategic depth of this game will have you hooked.

3. Family and Friends

Looking for a way to bond with your Fellowship of the (living room) Ring? This game is a fantastic option for family game nights or a gathering of nerdy friends.

Tips for First-Time Players

Understand Your Role: Each character has unique abilities. Use them wisely, or risk becoming the weak link (ahem, Pippin).

Don’t Underestimate Sauron: The Dark Lord doesn’t take coffee breaks. Plan ahead to counter his every move.

Stay Corruption-Free: Keep an eye on the corruption tracker. Nobody wants to become Gollum—except Gollum.

Communicate: This is a team game. Share strategies and don’t hog resources. (We’re looking at you, Boromir.)

FAQs AboutThe Lord of the Rings Strategy Board Game

Q: Is this game suitable for casual players?A: Absolutely! While the strategy may seem daunting at first, the cooperative nature makes it accessible. Plus, the theme keeps everyone engaged.

Q: How long does it take to play?A: Most games last 60-90 minutes, though it can stretch longer depending on how much you channel your inner Gandalf while deliberating over every move.

Q: Can I play this game with younger players?A: The recommended age is 14+, but younger players familiar with the story may enjoy it with a bit of guidance.

Why This Game Is a Must-Have

Whether you’re a die-hard Tolkien fan or someone who just loves a good board game, The Lord of the Rings Strategy Board Game delivers on every front with its immersive campaign mode. It combines rich storytelling, strategic gameplay, and stunning components into an unforgettable experience.

Plus, where else can you face off against Sauron with a gang of friends (or solo, if you’re brave)? This game isn’t just an adventure; it’s a celebration of the heroes and one of the greatest fantasy stories ever told.

Conclusion: The Road Goes Ever On and On

In a world where countless board games fight for your attention, The Lord of the Rings Strategy Board Game stands out like a beacon of light in the dark land of Mordor. It’s cooperative, strategic, and brimming with Tolkien goodness.

So, grab your Fellowship, roll the dice, and remember: not all who wander are lost—some are just figuring out how to defeat Sauron. Adventure awaits!

Ready to join the Fellowship? Pick upThe Lord of the Rings Strategy Board Gametoday and embark on the journey of a lifetime.

(Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click the link to support this quest while snagging your copy!)

[incomingalbatross]

Chesterton and Tolkien both approach God as an Author—an Artist but particularly an Author—and see Creation on both a large and a small scale as art, narrative, poetry, story, not because our human intelligences project those forms onto it but because God is the Creator of those forms.

Chesterton sees this from the angle of...saying "a fan" seems silly, but "a critic" only works in the academic/scholarly sense. A scholar? An enthusiast? What I'm trying to say is, so much of his writing is about unfolding and analyzing and illuminating and enthusing about the manifold beauties of God's Creation. He is a fan, writing appreciative meta or loving fictional expansions on the details of the story he sees humanity living in.

Tolkien, on the other hand, came at this through trying to study and understand human creativity, and how it best relates us to God. The bulk of his writing reflects his love of story, and of the act of "sub-creation" itself—but his understanding of God as Author is the foundation underlying all of that work. Tolkien understood human creativity as one of the ways in which we are made in the image of God, and so considered it a gift and faculty we were made to use, but are all the more obligated to use well. I don't believe he ever says it in these words, but he approaches storytelling like a vocation.

Chesterton thought of God's Creation as story, and Tolkien thought of story as God's creation. Different emphases, shared territory. That's what makes them both so important for me.

[deafeninggalaxycandy]

✨️TOLKIEN BLACK HEADCANONS ✨️

trigger warning: very small, miniscule mentions of racism (its just cartman being a dick)

• Tolkien Abel Black

• He/Him

• Born on June 20th, 2003

• 6'1"

• Straight (possibly)

• Very generous with his money. His parents give him an allowance of $50 a week and he just spends it on buying lunch for him and his friends so they don’t have to eat the shitty cafeteria food. He very regularly gives his friends random gifts or cash.

• Like Butters, he's another one of those kids who gets along with pretty much everyone. He's a pretty chill guy who doesn't really worry a lot and he's easy to talk to. He's the therapist friend that everyone comes to for advice.

• Once he got older and started realizing how incredibly screwed up the majority of his classmates were, Tolkien decided to learn therapy tools and read up on self-help so he could help his friends. He originally started because he realized he didn’t know how to help Clyde with his grief over his mom. In between 5th to 7th grade he did a lot of research about how to deal with things like depression, PTSD, mental health disorders, etc. He also uses what he's learned to self-regulate his own emotions which is why he's usually calm and centered.

• Tries to avoid Cartman as much as possible. Heidi and Butters had to beg him to let Cartman in his house and he said no like 20 times before he just gave up and let him inside on the premise that he can't make any racist or antisemitic comments during his stay. Cartman, of course broke this rule a few times which led to Tolkien physically forcing him out of his house.

• Plays keyboard and piano and sings beautifully but he's embarrassed and only does it in front of Nichole.

• Tolkien was told by Clyde that "rich people smoke cigars" so he tried when he turned 16. It was so bad, he couldn’t stop coughing and started freaking out like he smoked weed.

• Wants to go into social media marketing as an adult and eventually become a CEO.

• Usually a very busy guy, he takes lot of extra-curriculars and is in the debate club, chess club, soccer team and robotics club.

• Big fan of 80s martial arts movies like The Last Dragon, the Karate Kid series, Shogun Assassin and Revenge of the Ninja. It inspired him to learn martial arts and use nun-chucks.

• He tried to learn martial arts from Red and Wendy but Red kept purposely beating the shit out of him. (Read my Red Hcs you'll know why) and Wendy had to get her off of him a few times. He eventually learned karate from Wendy and his parents sent him to a private martial arts tutor.

• Writes in calligraphy. His father taught him and that's just his default writing. He actually had to teach himself to write "sloppy" because for a while his teachers thought someone else was writing his work (because what 4th grader knows fucking calligraphy). He's also ambidextrous (can write with both hands).

• Listens to Frank Ocean, Steve Lacy, and SZA

• Tolkien is very perceptive and can easily figure people out so he already knew Kyle liked Nichole and Red liked her too. It was painfully obvious (literally) with Red, they kept beating the shit out of him for no reason and looking annoyed whenever he kissed Nichole. With Kyle, it was obvious because he kept avoiding him and Nichole in middle school and this actually hurt his feelings because Tolkien has a lot of respect for Kyle and next to Clyde saw him as somewhat of a best friend. Of course, they all talked about it later but during the time Tolkien felt a little bit betrayed and partly blamed himself.

• Interestingly enough, he has no idea that Clyde genuinely loves him. He does love Clyde too but only platonically.

• He actually did question if he was bisexual or not and he doesn’t know for sure. He knows for a fact he definitely loves Nichole and isn't attracted to men sexually but as of lately he's been finding himself become a little bit flustered when Clyde compliments him.

• Wendy only dated Tolkien because she wanted to date someone who wasn't in Stan's immediate circle but was close enough for him to recognize. Tolkien volunteered because he was just happy that a pretty girl was briefly interested in him but he eventually ended things with her because he realized she didn’t actually want him and didn't really reciprocate his affection as much as he'd like.

• Really fucking hates how everyone is either constantly filtering their words around him so they don’t come off as racist (Kind of like Stan) or they have zero awareness and/or intentionally say something racist (Cartman basically).

• Gives everyone his old clothes, phones, and shoes.

• Hangs out with Kyle and Stan pretty often when he's outside of Craig's group. They're his best friends right after Craig.

• Randomly gives money to Kenny solely out of guilt. Kenny tries to refuse it but Tolkien fucking shoves it in his hands because whenever he sees that guy show up to school in ripped up, dirty jeans he got from a dumpster and a $2 white tee shirt with 30 holes in it, he starts feeling so guilty, it goes straight to his stomach and makes his wanna vomit.

• Took fencing classes until he graduated.

• His parents tried to get him into classical music but he never saw the appeal. They blame it on his classmate's influence since most of Tolkien's friends listen to rock or pop music but he just genuinely doesn’t get the point of hearing music with no lyrics.

• Really likes pandas and 100% believes they won't hurt him if he got near one. He forgets they're like wild animals, he's been asking his parents to buy him a panda as a pet. (Discovering Kung Fu Panda made him break down into tears of joy)

• Started watching Steven Universe with Nichole and got invested in the lore too. He finds the complicated emotional themes very refreshing to see in a cartoon.

• The chess club was actually started by Tolkien and funded by Tolkien's parents, he came up with the idea because he was already really good at chess but needed some people to play him other than Craig since he kept beating him and was getting bored of winning all the time.

Again please don't call me racist for these, it was already pointed out to me that a big mentioning of racial issues in headcanons aren't exactly the best way to go so I toned it down some (go see my Nichole Hcs, I edited some of the racial things.)

That being said I LOVE TOLKIEN he's so perfect he does no wrong

literally like he's the one character where I can't find anything wrong with him, HE'S A GODSEND.

sorry if these are bad i tried so hard to make him interesting :(

my manssssssss lowkey 🤭

JIMMY IS NEXTTTTT!!!!!

[threehazelnuts]

The Six Companions - Thoughts and Background (Part 2)

Moving to Middle Earth

The Lord of the Rings theme came from reading the German Wikipedia entry on the fairytale. It's not the best entry actually. It’s trying to say that both are stories about a group of adventurers with different abilities. The way this is written and formatted implies that Tolkien’s 1954 novel is one of the “myths” which inspired the fairytale. I smiled at this first, but then I realized it was a perfect fit. There’s a fellowship, there’s a ring, there’s a character with prominent ears, there’s a fiery mountain.

I totally love Lookout and Listener as elves. It really made them stand out against the other four and gives a sub-structure to the group. Listener in particular always tended to be the most overlooked of the companions.

What I didn’t fully realize at the time was, how popular the telescope-neck of Lookout’s character actually was! Nothing against that version, but it was not feasible to do in Sims 3 and didn’t match the elf-aesthetics. Also I felt it makes him too similar to Long-Fellow. Of course he’s not to be confused with Keen-Eyes either. The latter’s gaze is just very intense.

Some more on Psychology

While it’s been mostly left aside by movie-adaptations, The Six Servants is very popular with Freudian analysis. Some of it totally has a point. The Queen’s original three tasks do relate to marriage. Even the eating-contest, with some goodwill. And that makes perfect sense. Her supposed purpose is to find a good husband for her daughter. But somewhere she took a wrong turn. Sadly, what I've read of psychological analysis ignores the Queen and goes all out on the companions and the Princess.

My reading is that it’s the Queen's own wedding ring which she dropped into the Red Sea, never to be seen again (as she thinks). The Princess must have had a father after all. And after the Queen freed herself from a marriage which she considered insufferable, she wants to spare her daughter that fate. This leads to the cruel and toxic situation.

What I’m not a fan of, are the marriage/relationship interpretations of the remainder of the story. As I said, some of it is just plain misogynistic and Freud doesn’t improve this. Instead of seeing that the Princess is just trying to cancel the situation, her "tasks" have been interpreted as symbols of marriage as well. And in the end it all comes down to the difficulties of possessing a woman. Then poor Frosty got to hear a lot on frigidity. But what everyone in that department fails to see, is the closely related Six get through the World. That’s more an Ocean’s Eleven kind of story. An out-of-work soldier and his gifted recruits make a similar journey to steal the King’s treasure. Solving the Princess-marriage-task is a step of their plan. But they don’t even want the Princess, they make off with the money. Their Frosty doesn’t get burned as a proxy, he saves them from being roasted in a prison of iron by keeping it cool. I still think with the marriage theme The Six Servants makes a better story. If you don’t take it too serious in the wrong places.

[lucigoo]

Weekly Roundup: 16th December - 22nd December 2024

I wrote 3 fics this week, with a combined word count of 7,672. Two of these fics are also colabs from the Bagginshield Book Club (BBC) server.

But first ofc, recs!

A Passion For Mushrooms - Chrononautical - The Hobbit (Bilbo/Thorin, huge world building fic and los of cultural misunderstandings)

Summary: There are many trials for a hobbit attempting to make a life among dwarves. A hobbit wants a garden. A hobbit wants to eat regular meals. A hobbit wants friends, good books, and comfortable chairs. Bilbo does his best to carve out a little hobbit life for himself in the mountain. If only there were not one final obstacle. For a hobbit heart wants love, and among dwarves that is a sticky subject.

battlefield manners - theMightyPen - The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien (Boromir/Theodred, its so cute!)

Summary: Boromir and Theodred live, and observe their younger family members navigating ballrooms and love alike.

An Offer You Can't Refuse - AvoidingAverage - Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Geralt/Jaskier, a clever and emotional au)

Summary: the Mafia/Werewolf AU no one asked for.

Dans l’Amour et le Meurtre - Swankyo0 - The Witcher (Geralt/Jaskier, modern au that I adore)

Summary: The long-haul trucker, contract killers AU that no one asked for.

I'm Lost, I'm Found in You - whisperedstory - Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Geralt/Jaskier, Cat Witcher!Jaskier for the win!)

Summary: After Geralt gets injured on a hunt, he's nursed back to health by another witcher. Over the next few years, Geralt keeps crossing paths with the Cat—first by accident, then on purpose.

end with hope - thewalrus_said - Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Geralt/JAskier, an adorable Knight's Tale au)

Summary: “It’s okay, Lam,” Aiden says. His voice is a little too loud for the situation, but that’s alright. Jaskier’s merry band of boys often struggle with volume control, in groups or separately. “I told Jaskier about Geralt’s fight with Yennefer, and how we came here so he can apologize and get her to forgive him. Because they’re in love,” he adds, unnecessarily.

“You told him what,” Lambert hisses, looking incredulous.

Eskel rests a big hand on Lambert’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Lambert,” he says soothingly. “I told Jaskier about Geralt’s feelings for Yennefer weeks ago, it’s about time he got all the information about the current situation.”

“Geralt’s feelings. For Yennefer,” Lambert says flatly. He throws his hands in the air. “Fuck, sure, fine. Geralt’s in love with Yennefer, and now Jaskier knows and is going to help them get back together.”

Hope oyu find somehting to your liking <3

And now, ofc, my fics 💙

This first two fics were written with my wonderful Bagginshield besties and members of the BBC @shantismurf, @lisellelascelles, @shujinkomononobe

The Unexpected Raisin - DrakeShadeDShadowheart, Lucigoo89, lisellelascelles, shantismurf - The Hobbit (Bilbo/Thorin)

Summary: This story begins: "Once upon a time there was a Hobbit who loved raisins more than anything." 👀

Baggins' Beans - DrakeShadeDShadowheart, Lucigoo89, shantismurf - The Hobbit (Bilbo/Thorin)

Summary: Our second attempt at a story relay game begins with the prompt: "Strong? It's not bad, though, is it? Oh, I appreciate it! Yes, I'll put another order in for you right now."

My third fic was written for the BBC Midwinter Gift Exchange 2024 | Archive of Our Own. If you are a Bagginshield fan, please check out the mix of fics and art choke full of winter fun.

When a monster becomes a beloved mutt (Bilbo/Thorin, written as a gift fic for th eamazing @shipper47)

Summary:

Bilbo finds a stray warg pup and of course he falls in love with it, much to Thorin's dismay.

Thorin hates the little monste,r but he loves his husband, even if he doesnt understand why he wants to keep it for a pet. A word that has no Kuzdhul equvelent.

The things he does for his hobbit, his husband, his consort *sigh*

Hope you have a wonderful week <3

[appelia]

♡*♡∞:｡.｡ Craig's Gang Relationship HC's

IMPORTANT: all my characters in my fics are aged up to 19-24. Side note: excuse my poor English.

Warning: none applicable

Genre: general, headcanons

Reader Gender: neutral

A/n: I'm not much a fan of separating Tweek and Craig, so theirs will be loosely based on how they act with each other (but I'll still use the pronoun "you")! Also, this one is a bit short, I'm sorry!

Craig Tucker

He's pretty bad at expressing his emotions, which can get pretty tricky at times.

He's great at helping you overcome difficulties, as he's very logical.

His ideal date night: Stargazing near the pond, if it's a meteor shower, he'll talk all about space and the universe and whatnot.

If Stripe likes you, the relationship is going to last a long time (guinea pigs my beloveds)

With his monotone, it's pretty hard to tell if he's happy or not, so he'll make sure to reassure you that he loves you a whole lot.

Clyde Donovan

Everyone knows Clyde's a crybaby.

When he's sad, he cries. Happy, he cries. Angry, he cries.

It's a bit jarring at first if you don't know beforehand. You two will just be cuddling and he'll start crying out of nowhere.

"I'm just so happy ☹️!"

His ideal date night: I think Clyde's a bit of a shopaholic. He'll take you shopping at the mall, making you stop at every single store.

"Y/n, we could match!"

Jimmy Valmer

I like to think he'd be head over heels for you.

He'll practice his comedy to you before his shows, asking you which one you liked the best.

His ideal date night: Watching a comedy special while cuddled up together with a bunch of snacks all around.

He's not afraid of PDA, he'll kiss you anywhere at any given time.

He's the jealous type - the moment he sees anyone getting a little too comfortable he does the most so that they'll get the hint that you're off limits.

Tolkien Black

This one's a sweetheart

He'll definitely go overboard in gift giving. If you say you like something, he'll buy 50 of it.

His ideal date night: A romantic dinner at some nice restaurant, then just walking around the town.

He loves to hold hands, but he's not huge on PDA otherwise.

I think Tolkien's a candle guy (This doesn't really have anything to do with relationship I just think he loves candles.)

Tweek Tweak

He's kind of insane but in an endearing way.

He tends to freak out and have outbursts a lot, but with you, those outbursts lessen.

His ideal date night: Going to the beach. He freaks out a bit at first because he thinks there's going to be a shark in the water and he'll die, and when you guys are leaving he'll complain because sand is a bitch to clean. But during the date, he'll love it!

He's absolutely the jealous type - He's also most likely wickedly strong, so whoever's getting too comfy with you better watch out.

[conundrumoftime]

Collecting up my Celeborn fics!

People were being weird to me about Celeborn elsewhere once again (why, whyyyyyyyyy), and this reminded me I wanted to collect up all the stories I'd written about him, so! These are a collection of Silmarillion/LOTR and Rings of Power canon (but since we don't know much about him in that yet, my headcanon TROP Celeborn is the Doriathrin prince version of his many canon backgrounds).

Softest of Tongues (Silm-LOTR) - Galadriel/Celeborn, from the First Age to the Third, canon-compliant, tagged ‘Sapir-Whorf hypothesis as metaphor for pain at the heart of your marriage’. Silmarillion and LOTR.

Fair as the Sea and the Sun (LOTR) - Galadriel/Celeborn, Galadriel takes the Ring from Frodo.

All the kinds of alive you can be (TROP) - Sauron/Galadriel/Celeborn and all component ships thereof. What if Sauron shapechanged to look like Galadriel, wouldn’t that be fun :)

Say it like the sunrise when it’s talking to the fog (LOTR) - Celeborn/Glorfindel, Celeborn/Galadriel. Glorfindel has come back from the dead a little too bright.

Civil Twilight (TROP), Galadriel/Celeborn, Galadriel/Sauron - Galadriel and Celeborn reunion that goes somewhat poorly but gets better. Also Haladriel.

All that Glitters (TROP) - a story about where on earth he is in Rings of Power.

Rarer gifts than gold (Silm) - Celeborn/Annatar. Because I like the idea of one of Annatar’s gifts being to whisper the names of all the dead of Doriath when nobody else in Eregion dares mention it.

A Green Thought in a Green Shade (TROP) - Galadriel/Celeborn, another TROP reunion fic, playing around with the good old amnesia trope.

When all the leaves are gold (Silm) - Galadriel/Celeborn, Doriath is creepy and so are the Noldor.

So Wide a Sea (TROP and LOTR) - Galadriel/Sauron and Galadriel/Celeborn; Galadriel before her final ship departs.

To hold all the promise of blue-velvet dark (TROP) - Celeborn/Sauron and Celeborn/Galadriel, more Sauron shapechanging into Galadriel featuring half-Maia Amroth.

And a collection of TROP ficlets of Celeborn raising half-Maia Celebrían in the best Tolkien tradition of Dad Who Stepped Up, Celeborn/Galadriel and Galadriel/Sauron:

Suo Gân - Arda Sahta - As little might be thought.

Updating with more recent additions:

Brighten my northern sky (Silm) - Celeborn/Glorfindel, background Celeborn/Galadriel, customs in Doriath are different :)

I do not hope to bind the wind (LOTR) - Galadriel/Celeborn, a couple of moments in Third Age Lothlorien.

As certain dark things are loved (Silm) - Galadriel/Annatar/Celeborn, one summer in Ost-in-Edhil when Celebrimbor is away.

And there will come soft rains (TROP, but 4th Age) - Celeborn/Sauron, background Celeborn/Galadriel and Galadriel/Sauron. At some point during the 24352th Twitter ship war discourse I joked that if we're talking about endgame pairings it's Celeborn and Sauron who remain on Middle-earth at the end of LOTR - and then I thought "oh, hmmm, I bet I could write that..."

Lands far away (TROP) - Celeborn & Gandalf, background Celeborn/Galadriel - written during S2, using the idea that he is one of the Gaudrim and that's how he meets Gandalf.

Five places Celeborn hasn't spent the past eight hundred years (TROP) - Galadriel/Celeborn, Celeborn/Sauron - again written during s2, five different ficlets on five different fan theories about where he might be: 1) actually dead and sent back from Valinor, 2) he's Adar, 3) lost with amnesia (featuring single-dad-of-Amroth Celeborn as per one scribbled JRRT note), 4) Gaudrim, 5) just hanging out in a forest.

Always coming home the same castaway (TROP), Galadriel/Sauron/Celeborn, one-shot for a canon divergent post-s1 storyline in which Galadriel doesn't learn who Halbrand is.

The names of our wounds (TROP), post-s2 WIP - Galadriel/Sauron/Celeborn and all ship combinations therein.

[fanhackers]

Mark Heresy, American, b. 1965. Will to Power (detail), 1992, Ink on paper, 28 x 22 in, 2000.11.5, Gift of Peter Norton, Collection of the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University

Putting on an exhibition was the furthest thing from my mind when, through my PhD assistantship, I was placed at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art in the Fall of 2022. To say that I was anxious to talk authoritatively about fine art would be a dramatic understatement. Historically, my visits to art museums included confusion about what was (and wasn’t) considered “good,” and my daily experience with art centered around the fan pieces I saw posted on Tumblr and Instagram. I was, to put it bluntly, terrified.

During the same time period, I was struggling to find the focus of my dissertation. With Master's degrees in both English and Business Administration, and with a passion for fanfiction, I knew I wanted to talk about fan compensation. I had read plenty of scholarly books and articles that were passionate about promoting fandom as valid, positive, and useful, and plenty more that broke down the unpaid labor that fans engaged in for their fan objects, but I had never seen these two concepts addressed at the same time. Texts considering fan compensation tended to view fan labor in a negative light. At best, fanworks were viewed as a gift from a fan to the fan community at large, with fans knowing they would be repaid when other fans within the community gifted their own fanworks in return. (Nevermind that I myself have a fic on AO3 that is—as of writing this—the only fic belonging to its extremely rare-pairing). At worst, fanwork was viewed as unpaid labor, utilized—often unethically—to prop up the mass-media corporations who profited from it. I wanted to consider the ways in which fans were paid that weren't specifically monetarily based, and I wanted to address the topic from a position of honoring and respecting fanworks in all their forms. 

Even with this knowledge of what I wanted to discuss, I was struggling in my program. My experience in both of my Master’s programs had not prepared me for the fast pace at which new ideas and theories were disseminated in fan studies and through digital communities. Each time I thought I had found something new and exciting to add to the scholarship, I read a new paper—or more often watched a TikTok—which said my great idea in a better and smarter way than I had considered it. I felt discouraged and lost. I took a step back from my research, deciding to focus my time and energy on my assistantship instead. The museum was showing a portion of Marquette University’s collection of Tolkien manuscripts, and part of my duties included gathering three minute oral histories from fans for The J.R.R. Tolkien Fandom Oral History Collection. Inspired by this experience, I began to think about museums and archives, about what gets archived, about what gets displayed, and about who gets to make those decisions.

When the Haggerty Museum’s Curator for Academic Engagement approached me about an exhibition centering my own research, my first thought was to hang fan art on the walls. This, I was quickly told, was not an option for a plethora of reasons. Couldn’t I instead, it was suggested, use fine art pieces to discuss these types of fanworks? I first considered using pieces that could themselves be seen as fanworks—variations on mythology and biblical stories, new ways of considering historical moments and places, Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe… but this didn’t feel like enough. Everything is inspired by something. Is that enough to make it a fanwork?  

It was from these thoughts and musings that Affirmation/Transformation: Fandom Created was born. Fourteen fine art pieces were selected from the Haggerty’s permanent collection—each of which will be used to discuss something that fans create. I categorized fan creations broadly: alternative readings, collections, community and collaboration, emotional responses, histories, identity, meanings, new texts, parasocial relationships, play, political and social movements, rivalry and opposition, rules, and theories.. The 14 fine art  pieces will be hung in the gallery during the exhibition, but are also currently available to view online. In this ongoing project, fans are invited to create fanworks inspired by these 14 pieces, and the fanworks submitted will be displayed digitally alongside the fine art. Think of it like a Prompt Meme challenge, featuring fine art as your prompt!

My experience with fandom is as much about community as it is about the thing I’m a fan of, and this is why it was so important to me to avoid discussing fandom in a vacuum. An exhibition of just my voice explaining what fans created felt cold; it felt disconnected from and disrespectful to the very thing I was trying to celebrate. This is why my dissertation project is collaborative, featuring the voices and creations of fans everywhere. I also feel called to ensure that these fanworks are treated with the respect that they deserve. This doesn’t just apply to the ways in which I will write about them in my final dissertation text; moreso, it is vitally important to me to take advantage of the opportunity I have to archive fanworks in Marquette’s institutional repository. Archiving these fanworks not only preserves them for potential future academic research, but also marks them—and fanworks in general—as being worthy of a place within the academic archive.  Fan submissions for Affirmation/Transformation: Fandom Created are being accepted now, and will continue to be accepted through the close of the exhibition (December 22, 2024). In order to be on display in the gallery on opening night (August 23, 2024), fanworks must be submitted by August 1st. All types of fanworks are welcome, as long as they are submitted digitally. Sound will be available to be played in the gallery (fanworks will be displayed on tablets with headphones attached).  For more information, visit https://epublications.marquette.edu/fandom/Affirmationtransformation/, or email Kate Rose at AffirmationTransformationShow@gmail.com

[cringelordofchaos]

Tolkien Black headcanons !!!!!!

Tw for multiple mentions of getting shot

Non-binary + romantically attracted to girls (based on Tupperware character description), pronouns - he/they

A bit of a Math+physics nerd + one of the best students in class (Cartman canonically cheats off of them on tests sometimes)

Has a really healthy and wholesome relationship with their parents + they sometimes either intentionally or unintentionally embarrass him in front of his friends but all in good fun (think of Ninjago Jay's relationship with Ed and Edna for reference)

Bit of a complicated relationship with Nichole (canon but i forgot in which episode it was said, but Nichole told Cartman that she and Tolkien are having some issues in their relationship? But it's not any of Cartmans business) (though he loves her and they even canonically have a picture of them together in his room)

Best friends with Craig, Clyde's a close second

Already mentioned it in my Craig headcanons posts but before Craig got with Tweek he would joke about proposing to Tolkien in the future so he could live off of their and their parents wealth lmao

Most serious/realistic??? out of Craig's gang

Has a bit more goofy / derpy side but is mostly embarrassed by it

Voice cracks in the future come to be the death of him

TW TRAUMA + POLICE BRUTALITY - is still quite distraught from being shot in the arm by a cop (in South ParQ Vaccination Special? Or was it on The Pandemic Special?) and is still distraught from that time his parents were arrested for no reason (in TFBW, where they also constantly targeted him and treated him (a ten year old child) like a threat), especially since most their childhood, like all the other kids, they were told that cops are their friends they can trust! But now he knows he can't trust them and avoids them whenever possible

Friendly

Canonically likes basketball (I like to imagine they sometimes play with Kyle!)

Favorite colour is purple (NO WAYYYY WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHTTTTTT /s)

Canonically feels out of place sometimes because of their family being rich

Sometimes takes the role of "the mom friend" (idk why. based on vibes. screw me)

Cringe TikTok user (canon 😞)

Not too much of a nerd like his dad

Since they actually hate that their name is Tolkien (cuz they don't like JRR Tolkien's books) maybe they change it in the future? I don't know what to though (but sometimes likes Token better)

Kind of understandably tired of everyone's shit

Wendy once said "I've dated him before, he's really nice!" or something like that sooo I take it as canon

Hates Cartman and has every single right to do so (he threw a rock at their head, shot them, and is just a racist asshole all the fucking time to them 😭😭)

But wait - what I don't understand is that they said "all that dungeons and dragons shit is lame" but in the stick of truth (haven't played it, only saw like 2 scenes in it) they were fully on board with playing fantasy? Like -

"THANK YOU FOR THY MESSAGE, TRAVELER! I SHALL MAKE HASTE TO KUPA KEEP!" - that sounds pretty nerdy to me Tolkien. Maybe they DO like nerdy shit but are just embarrassed to be associated with it???????? Idk I'm starting to get confused. Tolkien hyper fans / analysts if you're out there please help me

Canonically plays bass and still has his bass guitar in his room as shown in TFBW

Good person that usually puts others before themselves (like when Cartman told him to "be the bigger person" and tricked him into going over to him and getting shot by him)(still stands his ground and doesn't let people walk over him)

On southparkstudios.com it was said they're good friends with kenny and share struggles related to income (opposite sides of the same coin) so maybe they hang out sometimes. that'd be kinda cool.

Cat person I've decided though I don't think he cares too much abt the dogs vs cats debate

Gifted + talented kid but sometimes might be a perfectionist with overtly high expectations for themselves???????? Idfk what I'm on dude

Good memory

Likes to roleplay

Can't tell if he prefers fiction or nonfiction cuz of stick of truth but also because of the whole hating his name thing Eufhfhfuufnceucb

Ermmmm i think that's it for now Byeeeee god im so cringe

[imtheseagull]

Behold the gift my director passed to me and now I, in turn , have passed to you. The best fan made audio book JRR Tolkien could have asked for.

Listen and enjoy—

[1moreoffkeyanthem]

*inhales* as a gift for this big dark fantasy SP style werewolf Stan x vampire/elf Kyle AU, I will have you know, even though Ao3 is down for a few hours at this moment in time, I am actually in the midst of creating a reference page for the readers for the beginning of the fic for all the characters, location and Gods lores, and what not.

I wanted to ask one of the best writers I know if you think that that’s something readers would appreciate, like just something to go “who is this original character- OH YEAH THAT’S A BAD GUY, HOLY CRAP” kind of deal?

I’m hyped to finally start writing it out, haha. But yeah, I was just wondering if having a reference page to an entire fantasy universe would be a good idea in your opinion.

Hope you’re doing well today!

OH THAT SOUNDS FUCKING KICKASS!!!

I think reference pages are extremely useful especially in fantasy universes bc there’s SO much lore building that goes into it, and you know I’m a gremlin for some lore. Especially with vamp and werewolf lore; there’s so much variation that it’s good to have that reference point even just as a righter, to keep your mythology consistent and avoid questions that could be easily answered with a quick reference.

I say this while thinking back to what a huge fan I am of JRR Tolkien. Looking at the indexes and addendums and world-building specific literature generally helps the reader to appreciate and understand the work that went into developing an au. There are also some genre stereotypes that you may choose to differ from, and it can be beneficial to clarify that in a lore page! Me personally I stick shit in the authors notes bc I don’t shut up in those; an example that comes to mind is in And The Lightning Cracks Sky when I wrestled back and forth with the fae and metal lore and ultimately decided not to use it.

As for original characters, I don’t have a lot of firsthand experience in that regard, but dude all I gotta say is IM HERE FOR IT! especially in an antagonistic role, and it sounds like you’re really wanting to establish them well which is SO important.

I hope you’re doing well today too and thank you so much for the ask dude I seriously love getting them! I wish you well!

[rebelrebelwrites]

Fic Friday! ❤️ Rebel’s Weekly Fic Recs

~ Haladriel Week Edition (Part 2) ~

A day late, but it's a long weekend and I needed a relaxation night last night so here we are. I'm still working my way through all of the @haladrielweek goodness, so you'll definitely see more HW fics in the weekly recs, though I think this post will be the last HW-specific recs post.

That's it! Let's get rolling. As always, this week's recs are...

As always, please mind the tags on any recommended story for your own personal preferences.

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The Classic You’ve Heard Of But Somehow Haven’t Read Yet: Civil Twilight by eye_of_a_cat

What you need to know going in:

Written for HW's Day 5, "Family," this fic is yet another canonverse masterpiece from Cat, seeing Galadriel reuniting with Celeborn after S1—and a desperate, angst-filled, steamy reunion with Sauron first. 👀 When Gal finds Celeborn again, he’s changed so much since they last saw each other… and, of course, so has she—most notably, being with Sauron’s child. What’s remarkable about this story is the characterization of Gal, Sauron AND Celeborn; I can honestly say that despite being ten thousand percent IN on Sauron and Gal (and trust me, this fic delivers everything about them in spades), I cheered so hard for Celeborn in this. The dynamic between him and Gal was just as spectacular as the undeniable spark between Gal and Sauron. Instant classic, indeed.

Complete, Mature

Read the story.

Follow the author on Twitter and AO3.

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The AU You Need to Immerse Yourself In Because, Well, Wow: Widowmaker by @mzladybird

What you need to know going in:

Still shaking myself after reading this fic. 🔥 This AU sees a young Galadriel in a very rural Maine in the 1870s, helping her family run a general store. It’s there that she first meets (and catches the eye of) Halbrand, a rough, quiet logger. After their first meeting, he returns annually… and the mounting, roiling tension between the two of them is absolutely exquisite; it builds like the clawing cold of winter in your chest, that first bite of bitter chill that burns. In this case, in an excellent way. I don’t want to say too much more, so just trust me and read it! 👌

Explicit, Complete

Read the story.

Follow the author on Tumblr, Twitter, and AO3.

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The Complete But Never Forgotten Masterpiece: now dark, now glittering by @mortaltempless

What you need to know going in:

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of @mortaltempless’ work; I’ve highlighted their work many times here, but this HW fic really hit me; it soothes. In it, Sauron struggles to understand Galadriel as she struggles with waxing and waning depression throughout the Ages they spend ruling together—but tries, genuinely, to help her. This fic works like a balm to the soul for it’s simple beauty and stalwart love in the face of sadness; of longing. It feels very Tolkien in that way, and for it’s emphasis on the healing power of nature. 😍 Be ready to bookmark, because this is one you’ll want to regularly return to for the sheer romance.

Complete, Teen

Read the story.

Follow the author on Tumblr, Twitter, and AO3.

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The WIP That Will Wreck You (In the Best Way): one thing i can’t get enough of ~and~ on begged and borrowed time by @bad-surprise

What you need to know going in:

Am I cheating by mentioning two of @bad-surprise's WIPs? No, because these are my recs and I do what I want. 😆 Keeping it 💯, I honestly couldn’t choose; they’re just both that good! The first, one thing i can’t get enough of, is the Dirty Dancing AU, featuring a mean-ish Halbrand in the role of Johnny and, of course, Gal as Baby. Do I need to say much more aside from these two and the words dirty dancing? 🔥🔥🔥 Better than the movie and it’s not even complete. ☺️ Fic 2, on begged and borrowed time, is another massively compelling AU; in this, we see Galadriel as a gifted tarot reader with a desperate desire to bring her husband, Celeborn, back from the dead… desperate enough to strike a bargain with the Necromancer and her former lover, Halbrand. 👀 Like I said—impossible to pick between these two, because they’re both terrific as hell, and they’re just getting started.

Both WIP, Both Explicit

Read the stories — here and here.

Follow the author on Tumblr, Twitter, and AO3.

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The Can't Stop Consuming No Matter What Time It Is Fic: once, i belonged to you (but twice i was free) by @nocaptainonthisship

What you need to know going in:

The dove is very dead in this fic, so fair warning, but it was absolutely one I could not stop consuming (and yes, it’s complete). A dark, delightfully twisted take on a fairytale, Galadriel is a princess locked in a tower with only a brush of memories from a former life, and three regular visitors, each of which have their own… appetites: Halbrand, her captor; Sauron, her besotted beast; and Mairon, her supposed savior. 🥺 Grim and gripping and utterly bewitching, this story is nothing short of striking in its intensity.

Complete, Explicit

Read the story.

Follow the author on Tumblr, Twitter, and AO3.

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🤩🤩🤩

Me at all these fics:

Don’t see your story on this list yet? Keyword: yet. Please don’t fret! I can only recommend so many each week, but I am always looking for more stuff to read, share, and generally shower with love, so please feel free to reply with your own fics or your pershaladronal faves. I have plenty more to recommend… ❤️

Until next week!

[fiddlepickdouglas]

You have previously mentioned, several times, holidays you created for yourself that you celebrate now instead of the holidays you were brought up celebrating. I respect it, I respect it. But as a person whose love language is giving gifts to the people I love based on their interests, I have to know... do any of these holidays you've created involve gift giving?

BILBO'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

It's a work in progress, so traditions are not set, but because it's actually celebrating both him and Frodo at the same time, and the hobbits are great party people, I figured it was a lovely way to add a celebration that includes the usual call for big festivities. So yes, big yummy meals, large gatherings, and exchanging gifts are all in order, possible dressing up and maybe a DND one shot are some things I've considered too, but of course any LOTR fan is welcome to create their own traditions around it in the spirit of all things Tolkien.

Current holidays so far:

March 15 - The Ides of March. Traditions include getting a tattoo and/or piercing in the event of "getting stabbed", buying Little Caesars pizza

June - Pride Month. Self explanatory.

June 19 - Juneteenth. I'm white and currently don't have any black friends to celebrate with; hopefully that changes. I either donate or support black owned businesses or charity foundations.

August 23 - Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing Day. Yay space! But specifically landing on the dark side of the moon. Space themed activities encouraged. This is, of course, very new.

September 22 - Bilbo and Frodo's birthday. Food, friends, gifts, general geeky shit of the Jirt nature.

October 9 - Indigenous Peoples Day. Once again, I'm white, so there's not exactly any cultural traditions I've felt appropriate to take part in. I try either donating or supporting indigenous owned businesses or charity foundations. I typically will get something from Ioway Bee Farm.

October 31 - Halloween/Samhain. I mean, that's the accepted time of year. I personally just enjoy Halloween spirited things year round, but October especially is when I can get other people in on the bit. It's Espooky Gay Pride!

November 24 - Native American Heritage Day. Same as October 9th.

New Years Eve - Self explanatory.

This list will certainly be added to and edited in the future. The attitude behind creating these new traditions is to decolonize and de-Christianize the nature of my celebrations. I'm happy to share these with other people and encourage everyone to find a way to celebrate and commemorate life and their beliefs in a way that truly harmonizes with their ideals and their loved ones. If anything here doesn't jive with you, no worries! There's plenty of existing holidays, both religious and secular, to take part in, so long as they're done respectfully. Creating your own is one of the best things about life, IMO. No one can take that away from you.

[ana-chronista]

🖤💉✈️⭐️🌺 please? :)

Thank you for the asks!

🖤 favorite hobbies outside of your blog Writing is a big one (of course), as is reading. Tolkien and Terry Pratchett are both favourites of mine, and more recently I’ve been reading a few books by Emily St. John Mandel and would definitely recommend them! I’ve been gaming for years, especially RPGs. I’m currently getting started on another playthrough of Stardew Valley (because really you’re never done with that game and this is my ‘evil’ playthrough) and trying out the Final Fantasy VII remake. I’d like to get back into jewellery making, it’s been a while since I’ve had the time (and space!) for it but it’s nice to do something creative that’s a bit different. 💉do you have tattoos and/or piercings A couple of ear piercings. No tattoos (yet? Never say never!) but mainly because I haven’t ever been able to decide on one particular design to stick to! ✈️ favorite place you’ve travelled New Zealand! I travelled around both islands for a few weeks several years ago and absolutely loved it. A couple of things I’d recommend:

The Waitomo Cave on the North Island is very famous, but my favourite of the three around there was actually the Ruakuri Cave; we had a guide who had worked on the excavations and was really passionate about the subject, so it was really interesting. You can also go black water rafting through it!

Obviously lots of Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit related tours are on offer, and as a Tolkien fan I enjoyed that. Of all of it though, the Weta Workshop near Wellington where the props etc. were made was the best, and it’s fascinating to see how all these special effects are achieved for TV/film even if you’re not big on Tolkien as they cover a lot of different projects.

The penguin sanctuary at Dunedin, especially learning about the inter-penguin dramas going on!

Overall though just a really lovely place to visit – it’s a beautiful country and everyone seemed very friendly and laidback (at least compared to where I come from, so it was a good change of pace).

The other two are a bit longer so I placed them under a cut...

⭐️ what is one of your biggest accomplishments? Why is it so important to you? I was the first person in my family to go to uni. Lots of people have that same achievement, but for me personally it meant so much because I’d worked so hard for it and still had really strong doubts I’d ever manage it. I definitely wouldn’t be the same person today without it because of the self-confidence it gave me, and for me personally it was definitely one of the best things I’ve ever done. 🌺 what is the best gift someone has ever given you and why is it so important This is very random, and something very normal, but a towel turban. It was a Christmas present from my SO a few years ago – we’d been together all of five minutes, and what do you buy for someone when you’re still getting to know them? I hadn’t actually seen these before but after a conversation about why I always wrapped my hair in a heavy towel after a shower, my SO went and researched and found one for me as a surprise. It was just something really lovely and thoughtful because I could use it every day, and especially because it came from someone who’s never had long hair nor had anyone in their family with long hair to know about it beforehand. I’m now on towel turban number 3, all gifted by my SO, and still referred to as “the best thing I ever bought you.”

[hollowwhisperings]

that awkward moment where you re-read a crack post only to find that you accidentally edited out the "crack" part.

i'm sorry hugo weaving: it's not your fault they used the character you played to make drama for "character growth". > _ <

additionally must i apologise to:

Fans of the Live-Action Adaptions, old and new, whose introductions to the Legendarium through said works has undoubtedly gifted us all with new friends to nerd out with.

Fans of the above who met the books first & nonetheless enjoyed the motion picture: adaptions allow us all to better analyze our own, personal readings of "canon" through new perspectives. The Legendarium's uses Adaption (in the form of "Translation" to ENG) as its Framing Device: contesting canonicity is Encouraged within the text itself (which paints itself as "unreliable").

Hugo Weaving, for acting the role as it was written for him (no matter my Opinions on Said Writing): apparently Aragorn & Arwen needed a Direct Antagonist to "grow" from.

the employees of Weta Workshop, who did incredibly meticulous work for Tolkien's Legendarium (& continue to do so).

Sir Christopher Lee, who fully conveyed the Might & Majesty of the Wizard Saruman and wielded fully his Greater Experience (with Tolkien's works, stabbing people & just ~generally~) for the bettterment of LOTR's production. The good Sir rests now in Valinor but is ever One Of Us.

Sir Ian McKellan, for his fearsome & canny portrayal of Middle-Earth's Most Persistent Busybody. He has ever been "Mellon" to Fans & Fandom.

Cate Blanchette, who embodied "Galadriel" in all her beautiful glory: she ascertained the power of the character, subtle and fearsome and ancient. Her Graceful Swooshing of The Big Swishy Sleeves prompted my younger self into gaining an interest in the films at all (& thus Those Books I Forgot I Had). If I ever successfully sit through all three films, I'd gladly argue for her place as an Honary "Great" of Chinese Fantasy Dramas (LOTR isn't xianxia but it certainly resembles it in some parts, at least with its Immortals).

Viggo Mortensen, whose castmates found in him a "Strider" worth following, and who has everafter provided the Tolkien Fandom with its very own Cryptid.

Kiran Shah, for whom we can thank wonders untold in the cinematic Legendarium, in his roles as Frodo and Stunt Actor for all four hobbits. Rightfully was he named "Lord of the Scale Doubles" by his castmates: his laurels are well deserved!

Shah's Fellow Doubles in the LOTR films¹, who have long shared in his obscurity: I have added Footnotes that name The IRL Fellowship in its entirety, as best I could ascertain (corrections welcomed!).

Sophia Nomvete, who suffered first and worst in the Racist Backlash against TROP (her image amongst the very first released in Amazon's Promotions): she is beautiful in the role, even in her beardlessness.

the remaining POC cast of TROP, in its first season & those upcoming: they trailblaze against everything set against them² and I collate them in hope that "Tokenism" become a thing of fable... but mostly because TROP has enough of Us in its cast them to make "namedropping" the work of a paragraph (to which i say: took you long enough, Hollywood).

Alex Tarrant & Kali Kopae: they, amongst others cast as "Numenoreans" in TROP, are the first Polynesian actors to star in Tolkien works with their own faces³. They carry with them the Weight of Legacies, fictional and truthful: may the writing do they & their characters justice.

every & anyone who sets the Legendarium to Song, its "truest" incarnation by a Watsonian's metric. yes, even those responsible for the whole "they're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" meme.

Footnotes below the cut: there I touch on Prejudice & Politick, as found throughout Tolkien works: Racism is the primary focus (Anti-Semitism is tied-therein, made "implicit" because This Is Tolkien afterall) though I make reference also to Ableism.

¹The IRL Fellowship of the Ring: Doubles & All

Frodo Baggins was played not only by Elijah Wood but by Kiran Shah, who doubly served as "Size" & "Stunt" Double for Wood.

Sam was played by Sean Astin (principal), Bhoja ‘BK’ Kannada (size) & Kiran Shah (stunts).

Merry by Dominic Monaghan (principal), Martin Lenisson Gray (size) & Kiran Shah (stunts).

Pippin by Billy Boyd (principal), Praphaphorn ‘Fon’ Chansantor (size) & Kiran Shah (stunts).

(Yes, Kiran Shah was apparently the stuntsman for all of the hobbits: finding this out required my reading of More Recent Journalism, as Wikis only credit their principal actors & size doubles in the roles, with Shah's stuntwork credited only generically in-film & in wikis)

Gimli was primarily played by Brett Beattie but, despite Some Effort from his colleagues to confer co-crediting, only John Rhys-Davies was named in main billing ("movie politics", apparently). Beattie was initially cast for stunt & scaling work, but soon became a full-time "stand-in" for much of principal photography (Davies was Infamously Allergic to the Gimli Prosthetics, which restricted how long he could work).

An Aside: I remain personally ??? at why the production bothered to cast anyone, only to give them a full-face of prosthetics. The prosthetic wig & facial hair? Yes: modern beauty standards made it unlikely that a "fully haired" actor would be found for the role. The prosthetic nose, forehead & [whatever else] too? Those served no narrative purpose save, perhaps, an idea that "dwarves should look Old and [conventionally] Unattractive". This is my conclusion upon recalling the general "effect" of Gimli's changed characterization in the films & PJ's Pointed Rejection of casting "little people" in principal roles to begin with.

Legolas was played by Orlando Bloom (principal), Paul Randall (size) & Morgan Evans (stunts). Though Evans was only credited as Legolas in Fellowship, given that the entire trilogy was shot together, it can be Assumed that Evans retained the role as theirs is the only name that came up.

Aragorn was played by Viggo Mortensen (principal), Paul Randall (size) & Kirk Maxwell (stunts).

Gandalf was played by Sir Ian McKellen (principal), Paul Randall (size) & Basil Chapham (stunts). Chapham was credited as a "riding double" (or otherwise under "stunts"). A photo exists of all three Gandalfs in costume together: it's adorable.

Boromir was played by Sean Bean (principal), Paul Randall (size) & Lance Louez (stunts).

Paul Randall did indeed play as Legolas, Aragorn, Gandalf AND Boromir. Though I could only found him specifically credited as Legolas, interviews & cast photos do indeed name him as a "Stand-In" for all four roles. At 7"1, Randall could be used to scale "Big Folk" into scenes with the principal hobbit actors.

²Hollywood Racism in Fantasy Film Casting: Watch This Space?

We all Cringed at the blatant yellow & brownface of the Live-Action "Avatar the Last Airbender" film. The author of the Wizard of Earthsea series has long battled for its primary protagonist, Ged, to look like himself on book covers: he came to adaptions "pre-whitewashed" (to the great frustration of his creator, writer Ursula K. Leguin).

While there is no Public Ado About TROP from its BIPOC cast, save their grace in the face of Racist Backlash, Amazon's making the series at all was inspired by the success of HBO's Game of Thrones. The nature of Streamed Media is something currently protested: actors & writers own nothing they make, can say nothing of their work nor on its reception, and this has yet to Change for the begger.

Those Aware of how GoT handled its canonically POC characters (the Dornish, the peoples of Essos & the Summer Islands) are likely Aware of its Incredulous Killing-Off of the only black woman in its primary cast (Missandei, adapted to screen as an adult woman). Missandei's actor, Nathalie Emmanuelle, has been Very Diplomatic in interviews on her experiences while filming & later watching the show.

Additional instances of how racism has affected more recent Big Budget Fantasy Productions, "internally" (through casting & writing choices) and "externally" (racist backlash against adaptions & actors) can be found in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (Disney) and the televisation of Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" (Freemantle). Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico, SW) & John Boyega (Finn, SW) have spoken on their respective experiences with both (both went on to work on other Disney projects but Disney is its own Balrog) , while Orlando Jones has spoken of the racial discrimination within the production of American Gods.

The ongoing Writer's Strike is Informative on the limits of speech imposed on those working on Streamed Media such as TROP, writers & actors both. While TROP's 2nd season had already "wrapped" prior to the Strike, its production team & cast are still very much affected it: their speech is policed, by contractual obligations & self-preservation. Many of TROP's cast is "fresh": they do not have the clout to break convention, especially those acting as "trailblazing minorities" & whose continued employment is more vulnerable for it.

³The (Accidental) Diversity of the LOTR film trilogy & its (Deliberate) Othering of its BIPOC

PJ's films are sometimes joked as being (very long) tourism ads for New Zealand: the islands had been "cast" as Middle-Earth, something retained in pop culture ever since.

To fill out the wide landscapes of Middle-Earth required more cast than Hollywood could affordably export: thusly was casting opened to the local populace. This is how PJ's LOTR films' were made Accidentally Diverse.

Much of the Cavalry in the LOTR films (all those extras on horseback) were IRL Eowyns: the majority of the locals with the horsemanship the production required turned our to be female. Given that entirety of Eowyn's Plotline requires gender-exclusion in Rohan's armies? All those female riders in the background were "disguised" with beards.

Lesser known (certainly less publicised) is the quickness of the LOTR production in deciding which local New Zealanders would be cast & in what roles: a myth of whiteness in "New Zealand as Middle-Earth" was actively chosen at every opportunity.

Tolkien's Imperialist Guilt kicked in, eventually, for his depicting the Enthralled Armies of Sauron as... IRL peoples traditionally colonized (in many cases enslaved) by European Powers. He'd accidentally-on-purpose written "reverse racisn" into Middle-Earth. He'd also depicted & decribed orcs with much of the dehumanizing rhetoric used against peoples of African. This prompted both White & Catholic Guilt in his personal writings (...that never made it into printings of the Legendarium).

Decades later, when filming a big budget live-action adaption to Tolkien's Legendarium, the Production (Peter Jackson definitely included) decided that all their visually BIPOC extras should be cast exclusively as... Orcs and Foreign Invaders of Middle-Earth. Y'know: the very same Enthralled Armies of Sauron that had so troubled the Professor (very belatedly) for the Blatant Racism of it all.

Amongst those Visually BIPOC persons cast as Foreign Invaders? Just about everyone who was Maōri: Maōri, the very people native to "Middle-Earth", and a country that was very much colonized by European Powers (there were also some Attempted Conquest, though "there were no New Zealand Wars" was still the "historical canon" taught during LOTR's filming: mayhaps that explains how the Irony went unrealised).

I will note that it's been twenty-ish years & several more films yet we're still waiting on PJ to have his Belated "Crisis Of Conscience" RE: Racism. TROP, at least, cast its Maōri actors as Proper Numenorean Conquerors so... progress?

[morgulscribe]

Sauron Bestows Blessings Upon the People of Mordor

NOTE: Mordor has existed since the First Age; see The Peoples of Middle-earth, p. 390. It was never called the Southlands like in a certain TV show, but rather The Black Land. The name was given to the region by the Elves, who called it that because of all the volcanic ash and debris from Mount Doom.

FROM "THE CITY OF RUL," BOOK 8 OF THE CIRCLES.

As the first millennium of the Second Age drew to a close, the prosperity of the City of Rul in northern Nurn drew the attention of a great Power. Like a man He appeared, but yet far fairer than any of the Race of Men who ever lived, with a majesty that radiated from His form like the coruscating light of a brilliant flame. So great was the magnificence of His finely honed physique and the beauty of His flowing copper hair and eyes of carnelian that singers were instantly moved to song and poets were compelled to write lengthy compositions praising His divine countenance and majestic bearing.

The Visitor told the citizens of Rul that He was an emissary of Melkor the Great, who had been worshiped by the first Men in the East and whom the faithful still revered, and that He had chosen to bestow His favor upon the land and all who dwelt within its borders. "Truly are the people who dwell in this land blessed, for in ancient days before the first Men awoke, Melkor the Great created this realm with the might of His powerful will and the skill of His own two hands," the Visitor proclaimed. "All that ye see about you are His creations: He formed the peaks and valleys of the mountains into encircling walls and bestowed life unto the Mountain of Fire. This realm is a holy place, having been exalted by the hands of the Lord of Arda, and, out of all the divers and beauteous places upon Middle-earth, I desire to make this land My home."

The people welcomed the Great One with open arms, feeling honored that a God had deigned to walk amongst them. Many gifts He bestowed upon both rich and poor – jewelry and adornments of exquisite workmanship, made from the finest gold and embellished with precious stones – and it was said that golden coins flowed from His hands as He waved to the adoring throngs who traveled from near and far to see Him. To the smiths and artisans of the city He brought new innovations in metallurgy and lapidary; to the architects, masons and engineers new advancements in craft and design; to the scholars and sages the secrets of the past and knowledge of the natural world. There was no skill or profession that the Great One did not influence and enrich, and the City of Rul flourished under His tutelage.

MORE NOTES: While Melkor created Mount Doom (see Peoples of Middle-earth, 390), Tolkien never stated if he created the entirety of the land of Mordor. However, over the years many fans have criticized the geography of the region, saying that the square shape of the mountains are geologically impossible and too conveniently fortress-shaped. So quite possibly Melkor created all of the mountains in Mordor, not just Mount Doom. Whichever the case, Sauron isn't always the most truthful sort, so he will say whatever he feels is to his best advantage.