#the strange halfling

[theotter99]

I can finally post these beautiful ladies. Say hello to Salia the tiefling rogue and Esma the elf paladin!

[potatobugz]

here are a bunch of doodles i did during the process of writing tptbu chapter 2 <|:)

[luck-of-the-drawings]

ohhh niklaus, how he enamors me!!

i DO love a good morally grey Antagonist, not just a grand villain, but another person, with such a rich life and history and power that we dont even know where to start fathoming yet.

[archasquirrel]

My brother recently got me into Baldur's Gate 3, and it's been a blast. I've gotten so many people killed unintentionally lol. Introducing my bard and his rogue for our first playthrough where he's teaching me how the game works

[timey-fandom-stuff]

... I really gotta stop coming up with wildly ambitious AU ideas.

[lolmanthecat]

I always like the idea that in a DND setting, amongst the canon explanation for sorcerers' existence is that dragons are furry practicing their own version of bestiality.

They cannot resist the urge to put a human suit and go bang some humans.

[merrinla]

Portrait spamming

Recent discovery. If you click on the portraits of the characters like crazy, they will react to it. And the developers had a lot of fun coding these reactions xD

Tav / Dark Urge

normal - I'm awake! Mostly. - I'm starting to get a headache. - Must be the tadpole. - Quit knocking around in there! - A thousand needlepricks in my rotten skull.

combat -Ahhhhhhhh! Okay, I feel better. - I have an itch in the worst place. - Is being a mind flayer so bad? - Just waiting to venture forth here. - I'm maiming as fast as I can!

stealth - What's that ticking? - Is it me? Am I ticking? - Bomb in my head about to go off. Great. - Ah, well. I had a good run.

Astarion

normal - Why do beautiful people taste better? It hardly seems fair on the ugly - they have such wonderful personalities. - Ugh. Strahd wouldn't put up with this shit. - More like Drizzt Don't'Urden - no. No that's not funny. - Villains! Dissemble no more, I admit the deed! Tear up the floor - here, here! It is the beating of his hideous hea- oh, no, that's his brain. Where did I leave that heart?

combat: - I'm trying to focus on murder. - *Humming.* - I shot a svirfneblin in Menzoberranzan just to watch him die. - I should've been a drow. They have such stylish armour.

stealth - Shhh. Just think sneaky thoughts. - Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP. - Be very, very quiet - I'm hunting idiots. - I've got a brand new torture chamber, so come and play with me.

Karlach

normal - NOTE TO ACTOR/DIRECTOR: Blow a raspberry at the player. - Don't. Poke. The Karlach. - Who am I? - My eye!

combat - Eyes on the prize - we need to win this! - Not every soldier should've made it out of training. - Eyes on victory, tummy on dinner. - I ought to just burn this whole thing down.

stealth - My back can't take much more of this. - Not now, I'm being a sneak! - I'm getting too old for this nonsense. - I'm not built to crouch.

Gale

normal - I hope Halaster takes good care of Tara while I'm away. - Sembian wine; Cormyrian boar; Waterdhavian conversation. It's the little things you miss while on the road. - Oh, what a tangled Weave we web! - All the world's my stage and you're just a player in it.

combat - Just go for the Magic Missile and fire away. Never fails. - Don't make me go all Edwin Odesseiron on you. - Get. Out. Of. My. Head. - I really wish I could cast a Hold spell on you.

stealth - You made me hide, don't make me come seek you. - Gods, it's like trying to sleep with a mosquito in the room. - A little privacy please. - Stop it - that tickles.

Wyll

normal - Could do for a brew. - Where there's a 'Wyll', there's a 'y'. - Ever get the sense that someone's watching? - So two halflings walk under a bar...

combat - Can't hear myself think! - Wear your scars proudly. - As my father once told me: 'Can we get on with it?' - I find moderation is key.

stealth - Bad time for an itch. - Could do for a brew. - So two halflings walk under a bar... - Shush. No, really. Shush.

Lae'zel

normal - Must everyone be so exhausting? - Weapons high. Standards higher. - Is perfection too much to ask? - Pride is a virtue.

combat - I will know my queen! - There is no right or wrong, only truth. - What is the point, if not victory? - You are right to fear me.

stealth - Hush already. - There is no wisdom in madness. - Is perfection too much to ask? - There is but one way. Vlaakith.

Shadowheart

all modes - I wonder how I'll feel when I remember everything. - Strange. I've had more freedom this past while than my whole life... - Have to keep focused. Can't afford to get attached - to anyone. - If I succeed, maybe I'll be allowed a pet... ugh, stop being silly.

Halsin / his voice is currently bugged :(

normal - What I would not give for a chunk of fresh honeycomb... - Such attention... I never realised I was so popular. - Are you feeling lonely, perhaps? - Unwise, perhaps, to poke a bear this much...

сombat - Battle is afoot - you can poke me once we are safe. - Perhaps try attacking the enemy? - Admirable stamina, yet terrible priorities. - You are insistent, are you not?

stealth - Most consider it unwise to poke a bear. - My, you are eager, are you not? - Please. I am trying to be stealthy. - Calm yourself. There is plenty of me to go around.

Jaheira

normal - Oh, calm down. I'm happy to see you too. - I would poke you back, but I fear that's what you want. - My, such strong wrists. - Well you certainly have the 'omnipresent' part down, don't you? - Please go poke the ranger instead.

combat - You have my attention - now do something with it. - What? What do you want!? - Do you know, I begin to wish they had never brought me back. - Yes, yes, have your fun. It isn't you they're trying to kill.

stealth - Dry those sweaty palms and let us try this again, shall we? - Argh, my knees! Oh. It was a twig. - Would that I could hide from you, too. - Careful, or I will take your toy away from you.

Minsc

normal - ARGH! My EYE, Boo! They went for my EYE! - Know that if you poke Boo, no higher dimension will keep you safe! - Heehee. Heeheeheehee. - Well, Boo? How do you want to do this?

сombat - Are you perchance a squeaky wheel in need of a kick? - I am armed! Armoured! And entirely sick of your foolishness. - I begin to grow annoyed. It is well for you that Boo does not let me learn the bad words! - Ignore them, Boo. Let them gaze deep into their own abyss, and wonder just what it is they are trying to achieve.

stealth - A little to the left? But not so hard you make me giggle. - Boo...? Are you dancing down there, or...? - Hush! I am surprising Boo for his birthday! He is... uh... eh... how old do hamsters get...? - I am the night. A pity, then, that it is so bright out.

Minthara

all modes - You had my attention, now you have my fury. - Phlar Lolth ssinssrickla. - Your suffering will be spectacular. - Stop, or die.

[yanderecrazysie]

Twisted Zoo Ending Two: Our Angelfish

NOTE FOR MAINLY QUOTEV: Please stop asking for updates. It’s incredibly stressful and considered rude by most authors. I understand and honored that you’re excited to read my story, but please stop saying “Update?” and things like that. I don’t know when the next update will be, probably within a month.

This is based on the stories of a keeper reader with the octotrio by @ashensgrotto and @merakiui .

I am no longer doing tags. Tumblr hates me and I’d rather not waste my time when there are so many! You can keep up to date on Twisted Zoo on Tumblr, Quotev, Wattpad, or AO3.

WARNINGS: yandere themes

Note: For Tumblr, the mature version of the endings (the afterendings) will begin sometime after I finish all the normal endings.

Note 2: I think they’ll all be short. Sorry. Also not even trying to go in order at this point.

When you stepped through the employee’s entrance to the aquarium, you could tell something was wrong right away. The water had steam rising from it and the room felt uncomfortably warm, reminding you slightly of the savannah.

Azul surfaced in the middle of the tank, his chin just above the hot sea water, and Floyd and Jade surfaced near the edge.

You walked closer and dropped to your knees at the platform’s edge, sticking your fingers into the water. Yes, it was definitely very warm.

“Is there something wrong with the tank?” you wondered aloud.

“No, angelfish, everything is perfect,” Azul said smoothly.

Immediately, clawed hands grabbed each of your arms, so tightly you were sure they’d leave marks, and pulled. You fell headfirst into the water and swallowed a lungfull of sea water before you could react properly. The salt stung your eyes and your lungs already ached for air since you hadn’t had time to hold your breath.

Your arms were released for a moment and you surfaced, gasping for precious air, then choking as Azul poured something into your gaping mouth. You stared at the octopus and he grinned at you unashamedly.

“What was that? What did you make me drink?” you asked, trying not to panic. Surely it was just something to help you breathe again or something? Right? Azul wouldn’t do anything to harm you, would he?

You started to swim back to the platform, but Floyd and Jade grabbed your arms again and dragged you further from the edge. “Let go! Now!” you demanded, but they merely chuckled at your plight.

“Let go of me!” you shouted, hysteria starting to rise. Your legs were starting to feel strange, tingling painfully, and you couldn’t move them any longer, held up only by the two eels.

“No, Shrimpy,” Floyd replied, giggling.

You looked to Jade for help.

“It’s time for you to join the family,” Jade replied simply.

You jolted as one of Azul’s tentacles wrapped around your legs, squeezing them together tightly, “We’ve been patient, angelfish, but it’s time now. This is where you belong.”

“Forever!” Floyd added with a loud giggle.

Pain shot through your legs and your skin began to prickle like a thousand needles had been stuck into them. The agony- it felt like your bones were shifting and reshaping themselves!

“Relax, little researcher,” Jade whispered, his warm breath on your ear making you shiver despite the warmth of the water, “It’ll be over soon.”

“Embrace it,” Azul encouraged, “We’ll take such good care of you.”

“Embrace… what?” you asked amidst the pain. Then you looked down at your legs, to see what was causing you so much agony. 

You stopped breathing altogether.

In place of your two legs was a beautiful white tail, much like how you would picture a mermaid’s, but with a silvery, translucent fin at the end of the smooth white scales. 

Beautiful, yes, but wholly unwanted.

You began to scream. At first, it was a wordless, terrified scream, but it turned to calls of help. “Mr. Crowley! Zookeepers! Anyone! HELP! PLEASE!”

You fell silent, trying to hold your breath, as the eel halflings dragged you under the surface. At last, when you could no longer hold your breath, inhaled underwater. You were even more horrified to realize you could breathe through the water with ease now. 

The eels dragged you into a huge sand castle they had built themselves, Azul following. You curled up and began to cry. Who would help you now? Who could help you? 

Somewhere above the surface, watching through the cameras, Mr. Crowley smiled.

He couldn’t wait to advertise his aquarium’s newest and most precious addition: the angelfish halfling that would never leave, as long as Jade, Floyd, and Azul were alive.

[astarion-approves]

Drabble request: Astarion having to work through the logistics of kissing his much shorter lover (like a gnome or halfling)

Astarion x GN! Short reader

Fluff, silly, slightly ooc, mostly SFW - referenced past bedding together. NO BETA and very lazy proof reading.

-------

This relationship with Astarion was admittedly off to a strange start.

In the beginning, the vampire seemed to avoid you, his behavior uncertain whenever he was around you. He wasn’t necessarily shy, not exactly — but more so because he didn’t know how to behave around you…

Because you’re short.

More often than not you would find his eyes on you, and you thought that he might be sizing you up. Although you were strong, many thought you would go down easily based on your height. A judgment that would always end in their demise.

However, then the comments began.

“Such an adorable little creature, I wish I could put you in my pocket.”

“You know, you’re at the perfect height to— Hm, Nevermind.”

“Have you ever slept with someone taller than you? … Would you care to try it?”

And then you slept together.

Maybe it was after defeating an entire army of goblins, or maybe it was this building tension between you, but you were pulled together so quickly that you never had the time to figure out what this relationship was.

And ever since that first night… Astarion has been making excuses to kiss you, and it was always in the form of dropping something next to you.

Walking through the cities, hiking over a mountain, in the middle of battle, Astarion would ‘accidentally’ drop something next to you and take the opportunity to kiss you.

“Shit.”

Astarion stood next to your bedding, having just dropped a comb onto the ground next to you.

“Oh my. How embarrassing.”

Then he bent down, reaching for the comb but his gaze focused on you. He smiled, leaning close to you, his lips glossy and tempting—

“Well, I suppose while I’m down here…. I could kiss you.”

The kisses were always soft, filled with so much tenderness that you never expected with such a creature. A slight brush of his tongue over your lips, teasing you, daring you to deepen the kiss and take it even further.

‘Astarion.’

You place your hand against his chest, gently pushing him back.

‘You don’t have to keep dropping things to kiss me.’

Astarion narrowed his eyes at you, a slow creeping of blush blooming on his cheeks.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just clumsy is all.”

‘Are you saying you don’t want to kiss me then?’

He sighed before dropping himself next to you and kicking his legs out in front of himself.

“No. That’s not what I’m saying at all, darling.”

Astarion chucked to himself, shaking his head as he did.

“I wasn’t sure what this was. Us. Together.”

‘I like you.’

He straightened up, clearing his throat and blushing even harder now at your blunt confession.

“Do you now? Well… in that case we could try being together.”

‘I would like that.’

“A good thing too, I was running out of things to drop. I was going to start making excuses with needing to tie my shoes…”

You both look down to his boots as he rotates them side to side in front of himself, and you can’t help but laugh.

‘Astarion, you boots have no laces.’

“Exactly. That would have been very embarrassing…”

[bharv]

Little things I personally love to see in Durgetash ships (this is really just what I enjoy, not what I think needs to be there for it to be valid or anything)

Fearsexual Gortash. He’s gotta be a little worried for his life and horny about it. But also…

Conquestsexual Gortash. The idea of owning the thing he is afraid of? Very sexy to him. Definitely not indicative of…

Absolutely out of control parental issues. Leaning in heavy on his experiments with people on how far they would go for their children.

Durge having full blown religious crises over holding somebody’s hand with tenderness.

Fully taking the “I consent! But I don’t!” Meme energy into Bhaal being a constant present threat to their relationship.

Both of them having a truly monstrous streak. Even if they might be soft for each other, it never stops them being a nightmare for everybody else around them.

Both of them having complimentary but different genius, whatever that looks like. The surgeon and the engineer. The politician and the empathetic killer. The mechanic and the butcher. Whatever it is, they revel in sharing space as equally smart people.

Gortash having actual injuries from Durge. Maybe he actually needs that cane…

Durge having a really tender spot somewhere for Gortash that manifests in strange ways. What strange means can vary but I delight in a huge Dragonborn bringing him breakfast pastries as much as I delight in a cute Halfling leaving him body parts of patriars like a cat with a dead bird.

[elodieunderglass]

When does Tolkien start entering the public domain?

(In reference to this poll https://www.tumblr.com/elodieunderglass/730451774219190272 where I tagged it supporting my own personal theory and added that when Tolkien enters the public domain WATCH OUT)

Tolkien’s works enter the public domain in the USA, uk and Canada 70 years after his death - so 2043 with open season starting 2044.

If we’re all still around in 20 years’ time, make a note of it! I’ll write you a story with unhinged hobbit family structures, the Shire being a place that dampens magic, and the unauthorised yet strangely canonical adventures of Belladonna Took and the Silmarils. It will be 200,000 words long and written in the correct tone, and I promise to do completely immersive research to colour in the background: every linguistic reference, Anglo-Saxon folkway, Icelandic influence, weirdly deep dives into topics like kinship moiety and subtle mischief that characterises Tolkien’s work. This would be so funny to me.

Everyone will be racing to publish basic porn and games; the d&d franchise which will be world-eating in 20 years will finally get to drop the pretense of “halflings,” Witcher and other franchises ditto; all the fantasy writers who have tugged at the tit for so many generations will finally be able to do it openly, and the films will be constant and abysmal. But we, we alone, we happy few alone and free; we will be giggling together, like playing dolls, over what the people REALLY want: constructing elaborate conlang puns with a 200k textual payoff.

It will be my honor to work on this for no reason at all, and I will ceremoniously give it to you in exchange for £7.99. And we will laugh and laugh and laugh

[theotter99]

Slowly writing the next chapter of The Strange Halfling and Ghurl and Salia interacting in peak to me. Here, I'll show you...

Ghurl quickly interrupted to stop Salia from gaslighting more. “So, what are we going to do with short steps here?”

Salia growled. “Knock it off, metal brain!”

Ghurl snapped back. "Bite sized!"

"Error bot!"

"Shrimp!"

"Squeaky knees-" A crash erupted from the libaray, followed by smaller crashes after that.

[themostineptthateverstepped]

Coming from a so-called modern era where fantasy characters are all sullen Abercrombie models we're told look plain and ordinary, The Hobbit is hugely appreciated for giving us strange, hairy heroes under 4 feet tall who sing and dance all the time.

What do you mean the tall handsome Aragorn isn't the hero of LoTR? Nope, it's the tiny halfling. Nope, the tortured brooding king in The Hobbit is a dwarf.

Beautiful stuff.

[indie-ttrpg-of-the-week]

His Majesty the Worm

its wormin' time Genre: Dark(?) Fantasy, Dungeon Crawler, OSR

Touchstones: Classic TTRPGs, Dungeon Meshi

What is this game?: His Majesty the Worm is a Tarot-Based game that aims to take all the boring parts of OSR and make them into goofy and fun features

How's the gameplay?: Hoo boy, this is gonna be a dense one His Majesty the Worm takes on a Maximalist approach to game design, with many sub-mechanics affecting your overall performance, the core game's mechanic is using Tarot instead of Dice for randomization, while a Tarot deck (w/ minor arcana) is recommended, the game is designed so a standard 52 card deck could also work, albeit not recommended. Whenever a character needs to do something a TEST OF FATE starts, characters have stats based on the Arcana's suits, Wands, Pentacles, Cups, and Swords, and whenever a TEST OF FATE starts, they draw a card from the Minor Arcana deck, then add that stat to the number they drew (Face cards are 11-14, Fool is a 0). Characters have a choice between 4 paths (also corresponding to the Suits in a minor arcana deck), a Kith (species), and a Motif (a quick sum up for your character), if I wanted to play a crotchety wizard asshole I would play a Path of Wands character with the Motif "Grumpy Scholar" and the Kith Underfolk, since my wizard is a halfling. The game is split between two distinct phases, Crawling and Citying, The crawling phase is going into the megadungeon and looking around for loot, while the City phase is going into town and buying shit! This game really focuses down on the minor, mundane parts of adventuring, Food management, Managing what you're currently holding, Torch supplying, Equipment Upkeep, and Weight management are all vital parts of a character, this might sound boring, and in any other game it'd be! BUT his Majesty the Worm is built entirely around these granular, seemingly inconsequential mechanics, they feel warranted and fun. The game also has an in-depth Guild building mechanic, after paying the 50% tax that all adventurers must pay to enter town, you gotta use up all that gold from dungeons somewhere! and the best place to put it in is equipment, but second place is helping out your community by starting an adventurer's guild! By investing your hard earned gold into your community you can build many things! like Taverns, Unflattering statues of your rival guildmasters, Monasteries, and other such fun things! This isn't even getting into things like Sorcery and Alchemy and how those end up mattering, Status effects, Language management being a part of gameplay… His Majesty is a maximalist game in every way, but it knows how to blend all of its strange and seemingly menial mechanics to make a very fun experience, it takes some of the most unfun games in the market and goes "Ok but what if it worked?"

What's the setting (If any) like?: Uhhhh, there's a setting alright! It shows up in bits and pieces of flavor text and the like, but there doesn't seem to be a setting guide or anything, the setting is fairly malleable, but a general dark fantasy vibe is the norm, the game explicitly says its not supposed to have a set in bedrock setting

What's the tone?: Goofy Dark Fantasy, its a grim world, but its also silly and pokes fun at tropes of the genre as well as just has copious amounts of poop jokes, its not a game to be taken seriously tonally speaking

Session length: 4 hours minimum, this is a complex game

Number of Players: 5 is my recommendation, 1 gm and 1 player of each path

Malleability: Very malleable! its an explicit design goal!

Resources: The game's website has many resources available, including an online tarot deck, player sheets, and a guild sheet

I really didn't think I'd like this game that much! it's an extremely well made and well thought out look at the OSR genre, if we keep getting OSR game I hope they look more like His Majesty

[llondonfog]

as promised for coming home on my only 10-pull key, a little birthday drabble for our beloved peepaw :) pls enjoy & happy new year to all!

". . . Cookies?"

He makes no effort to disguise the insulted disbelief as he stares down at the plate of misshapen treats, eyebrows flying so far into his hairline that they nearly disappear.

"He may be but a child, and a human at that, but surely he ought to understand the gravity of your former position, the glories in which you are entitled to—"

"Former, and disgraced if I might add," Lilia corrects him, a lopsided grin tugging on his face as he too gazes at the plate of cookies with a ludicrously pleased expression. "And Silver is all of seven, Baul. A seven year old child who worked rather hard today at staying awake to surprise me with something delicious, so I'd be most grateful if you could manage to tame that famous Zigvolt boom as I'd hate for him to wake up from his nap."

It's worse than Baul could have ever expected.

Lilia Vanrouge, the fearless and fearsome once general of the fae armies, the former right hand to their dearly departed princess, turned sentimental over a plate of lumpy, and frankly burnt on the edges, cookies.

He'd come over to further discuss the matter of his grandson training with his former commander, staunchly ignorant of his own sentimentality towards the halfling child who so closely resembled him in both pride and spirit, only to find the fae sitting alone at the kitchen table with an odd and unfamiliar expression vulnerable upon his face and cradling a cookie as carefully within his talons as if it were spun from glass. Baul had nearly leapt to arms, convinced that there had been some sort of spell or potion from those who still wished ill upon Lilia cast to tempt him into eating such bizarre looking food— even though it looked clumsily made, there was simply no way he would have been fooled into believing it had been the product of Lilia's disastrous attempts. It simply wasn't foul enough— when Lilia had startled back into awareness, only to laugh at him and proclaim to Baul's utter bewilderment that these...cookies, were in fact his birthday gift from the human child residing within his home.

To which Baul promptly informed Lilia that he had taken leave of his senses and he'd never once shared that he knew of his birthday before. If he had, there'd have been no chance of the entire country forgetting it for the wondrous celebration Meleanor and Levan would have certainly thrown in the honor of their dearest friend.

"You're right," Lilia had said, smiling that strange little half-smile as he broke his gaze away from the plate to the quiet hallway leading from the kitchen. "But then again, I had nothing about myself to celebrate until very recently."

And there, the crux of the matter, the elephant in the room that Baul never truly questioned out of loyalty to the fae that had given more than anyone ever could to the sake of their country, to the Draconias alone. The human child, the boy that had shown up suddenly and stolen Lilia away to the forest, bewitched him somehow into playing house. Baul cannot understand it— Lilia had more reason than any of them to loathe humanity, to shun it for the remainder of his life and seek to live in peace away from their kind after their unforgivable transgressions.

Instead, in front of his astounded eyes, he can only watch in silence as a tear splashes down upon the chocolate speckled surface of the cookie before it's hastily crammed into Lilia's mouth, the fae spinning around to grin at him as if in blissful ignorance of the redness gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"They're a bit salty, Baul, but I've never tasted anything better!"

Oh, he thinks, heart shaking in place as he too glances towards where a certain slumbering boy lies. Oh, you old fool. Do you even know how deep you've gone?

[erulasse23]

The Scouring of the Shire

My single biggest disappointment with the PJ movies is that this chapter, which is arguably the most important to understanding the whole trilogy, was completely cut out. You cannot understand a book without contrasting the beginning and the end, and leaving this out of the end changes the whole meaning and tone. The Scouring of the Shire lets us see exactly where our four main characters end up and how their journey changed them.

Merry and Pippin come back as Lords, accepted and revered and praised. They look big and impressive. They are in command, confident, and easily take charge in a crisis situation. Pippin is still not even of age if I’m not mistaken, but people trust him. They are brave and skilled.

Sam is admired and respected as well. He has gained confidence and he speaks out particularly against the hobbits who have joined Saruman, whether out of fear or greed. He is granted his greatest wish, which is to look after his Gaffer, and Rosie, and Rosie’s family. He is very much a protector, and not necessarily a leader, but he’s far from a lowly gardener.

Frodo, Frodo! Frodo is quiet, grieved, merciful, and wise. He is the undisputed leader of the four, and they listen to him. He refuses to carry a sword, or participate in any violence. He lets both Saruman and Wormtongue go, which makes the rest of the hobbits very angry. I love this quote:

Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wander and respect and hatred. “You have grown, halfling,” he said. “Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you! 

I believe that Frodo has grown in this way, uniquely to the others, because he gave in to the Ring in the end. It was after months of torment and in starvation and exhaustion, in the dark heart of Mordor, but he gave in. And I think that gives him this beautiful gift of empathy for all who have been touched by evil, even those who were seemingly willingly and gladly corrupted.

It is not strength that overcomes darkness, but light. Frodo will not let anger or vengeance darken his heart or those of his fellow hobbits. Tolkien told a story about the cost of war, and the way we all must fight against the darkness in our hearts just as much as we fight against the darkness Out There in the world.