My partner finished her hobbit outfit so we took pics in the backyard together this time. Alex is a genius too because she set us up using photography tricks to make herself look shorter, and me taller. In reality, she is 7 inches taller than I am. She explained, "we'll do photo tricks like they do in the movies". This is just another one of a million reasons I'm marrying this lady.

Stay tuned for Bilbo + Gandalf coming soon. Happy Halloween!!

Well not just Moria, obviously - the whole lot!!

Photo: Me and my daughter in a theatre built into a natural lava tube (Jameos del Agua, Lanzarote).

I’d have paid good money to see a showing of fellowship here, so atmospheric.

Just finished my Witch King pumpkin, doing Gandalf and Gollum next.

As part of my Faramir-esque ranger build plan I’ve finally finished making the leather cuirass.
What do you guys think?

Fully handstitched in an assortment of soft Italian leathers lined with 100% linen.
I’ve started doing leatherwork about a year ago and I’m quite pleased, only need to make the shirt now and it’s more or less finished!

And ofc the obligatory bracers of Gondor to go along with it

Just the shire Lego set with some Christmas lights. Picture taken and edited on iPhone 18 pro.

Sorry, I found Voldemort before I noticed Gollum.

Is Gollum really an arch villain? Note they also have Sauron.

Had a lot of fun doing this. Was the last in my friend group to finish since this took like 2+ hours to do.

Been a while since I received these. Moved house. One thing after another. But finally they are up! I think they look pretty damn good!

I carved this balrog jack o’ lantern for a family pumpkin carving contest, and apparently we all tied (see other entries).

I was more excited to enter it into my work contest today, but the voting ballot completely left mine off and the lady in charge was too busy to fix it by the end of the vote.

I think it’s my best work and I’m so disappointed it got snubbed twice.

How does that work?

So Pippin asks how far Minas Tirith and Gandalf says 3 days, and with some movie magic they arrive quite quickly. This might be a dumb question, but knowing Pippin's character, did they hypothetically really ride for 3 days straight? I would think that he would want to stop for rest or food, unless Shadowfax can bend the feeling of space and time. I hope this question makes sense but I was just curious if off camera they really did ride for three days straight.

Hi All,

I was pondering over LOTR and Silmarillion once again.

Regarding Saruman's ring (sounds odd). Big assumptions ahead.

While i know we do not have information on this ring and its capabilities. Gandalf considered it to be a lesser ring.

However, that is never expanded upon or confirmed.

I think it may have more significance than a petty attempt at copying Sauron's designs.

Curumo was not just any Vala, he was a Maiar of Aulë, as well as Mairon.

Both worked with Aulë to fashion the world and its many elements and secrets. Both likely worked on the Lamps in some capacity, before Melkor threw them down.

Even after Mairon betrayed the Valar to join Melkor. Curumo remained and likely continued to learn much from Aulë and through observation of the machinations of both Melkor and Mairon from afar.

Also Curumo had an advantage, while he was not involved, he was both in the presence of and likely got to see the silmarils up close. Allowing him to potentially learn something to apply to his own works.

The reason for my blub above.

Curumo likely was always attracted to power, the want to set his own order upon things. He was likely even envious that Melkor sought Mairons allegiance over his own.

I believe when he came to middle earth embodied as an Istari, he researched all he could find on the ring, its lore and last location. He coveted it and the power it held. He wanted to become a power in his own right.

His ego would not want to simply copy Saurons homework, he would have sought to improve upon it, to surpass it.

I also believe he would have had some idea that his ring could be connected to the One Ring upon making it. He likely would have learned from and used Saurons ring lore, but would have been aware that it could bind his own to the One. He likely would have tried to prevent this though his understanding of the lore and through his own knowledge and might.

If he succeeded, his ring might not have been dependent on the One Rings continued existence.

We do not know if Saruman successfully invested any of his own native power into his ring. But what if he did?.

What if this became a vessel akin to Saurons for a portion of his power. Used in a similar manner to focus and concentrate his power to to allow him not only increased power of domination and subjugation but of his lust for industry and progress.

Saruman saw himself the superior of all Istari, i believe its safe to assume he believed he could better Saurons works. He envied Sauron and Covetted his power, i do not think he would blindly subjugate himself to it though blind imitation of his work.

I do not believe Saruman could use this to reconstitute his body, Sauron learned how to do this over a long period of time to reembody himself. Each time losing parts of himself.

Upon his bodily death, the west reject Saruman. He was cast low and could not recover from this fate.

But his ring was not destroyed.

Perhaps this is the only ring left with inherent power within middle earth. Saruman was a creature of industry. Everything within Middle Earth was but material and fuel for this vision.

I would think that any soul that would find this ring (if it retained power) would be fueled by greed and want to horde and consume resources. That this new evil would be the spark that moves the 4th or 5th age of the world into a industrial revelation not unlike our own history. Leading to new great evils and new great wars of man. We would as a race, dig greedily and deeply.

Those wielders of this ring have an increased desire to organize, to command, to extract, to manufacture and to impose order upon the natural world.

This would be a pretty terrifying tool in the hands of man.

Manwe would with his great sight see man expand, consume and war with one another. But there would be no clear cause beside the folly of man.

No further messengers would come from or go to the west via the straight road. No reason to intervene seeing this as mans own struggle to overcome.

Saruman could ultimately achieve his ambition for shaping the world in his image, and never know he succeeded.

Each evil that fell left middle earth also left something behind, Melkor invested his essence into arda itself, Saurons influence would remain poisoning the likes of the Easterlings for some time after his fall. a small echo of itself.

This could be the echo of Saruman, the same principle applied.

Arda is Mogoths ring

Suarons was a ring of Domination.

Sarumons could be a ring of reckless ambitious progress.

After some time(ages) the ring could be lost between wielders, lost to time. But the systems and industry that the ring helped create would persevere.

His influence shaping the world long after both he and his ring are forgotten.

If you read this far, thank you. I enjoyed thinking this through. I know it was a long post.

I am bored and depressed, I want to change my mind and do LOTR related activities.

I already did a marathon and I going to do another marathon in the cinema next month.

Anything interesting I could try ?

I've been playing Organ Trail, the zombie-themed Oregon Trail parody, because it's Spooky Season, and I randomly had the thought: has anyone ever made a LotR-themed version of Oregon Trail? You could play as the Fellowship traveling to Mordor.

It seems like a no brainer concept, but I did a quick search, and was surprised to see that it doesn't look anyone has made this yet. But maybe I'm wrong, and just didn't look hard enough. Does anyone know?

Specifically curious about the opening scene where Sam is rationing the Lembas bread. He says “I think there will be enough”, Frodo goes, “For what?”, and Sam replies: “The journey home.”

Frodo gives him a strange look and I’m curious how others interpret it. Had he forgotten there was supposed to be a journey home and is now remembering? Did he set off on the journey never believing there would be a journey home? Is he scared? Does he pity Sam? Curious how people interpret that look.

Estou lendo o primeiro lotr e tenho uma duvida.
Nesse trecho, o Gandalf explica por Frodo o que acontece quando ele coloca o anel.
Ok. Entendo…
Mas assim, o anel ficou décadas com o Bilbo, ele as vezes usava o anel aparentemente, usou na festa de 111 aniversário, mas parece que isso não acontecia.
Se eu entendi bem o que foi contado até aqui, é pq até então o Sauron não sabia do paradeiro do anel, foi só quando gollum revelou “baggins” e “shire” q ele passa então a se “reconectar”, digamos, com o anel e então sempre que o portador o coloca, tem todo esse contato com os espectros.
Agradecia muito ideias e explicações, sou uma fã bem recente 🫶😬