The Warg and Warg Rider Appreciation Thread

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

'The Good Warg Rider' is an oxymoron, Nimrothiel. But surely there are enough delights to keep you tuned to the thread? The tale of how Wargs were linked to the legendary 'Party in Khand' will be arriving shortly.

[High King Fingolfin]

I apologize for the idea Eomer, it was frivolous and I should never have brought it up.(It was my sister's idea actually.) As to my earlier tale of the black Warg with wings, I personally think this Warg was an isolated case, it is probably a rare phenomenon among black Wargs.
Samwise, your tale of the Warg Rider was wonderful! I never suspected that Kharak was the son of Carcharoth.
More Warg tales later.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

But Fingolfin, after your revelation about the Winged Warg, more whispers have been unearthed regarding such beasts. It appears that the Winged Warg has been a long-kept secret, but perhaps the mystery shall be unravelled soon. I myself intend to find one this weekend by delving deep into the dark forests. What a sight it would be!

Please do keep the tales coming Fingolfin. I think we also need Samwise back to tell one as I guess that he has a plethora of Warg stories to unleash. The next time I post it shall be the tale of the Party in Khand. It is a tale both joyous and melancholy, and once more underlines the fact that Wargs have more power than the forces of evil.

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Though there is but one Warg Rider, mighty in legend and song, yet not alone is he among those who have dared in their temerity set bridle to the noble Warg. Indeed, his legend hath but proven the spur that hath kindled in Elf, Man, Dwarf, Orc and yea even Hobbit, to assay this self-same feat.

Of these brave yet misguided souls, the most have perished; their souls unhoused by the blazing wrath of the Wargs, who brook no attempt to master them. Yet others, the proud and noble few, have found favour with the wise Wargs, and have become their allies; being borne without saddle or bridle, for none the Warg chooses to bear of his own accord is suffered to fall from his broad back. And of these mighty Warg-friends, the greatest that is told of in the tales of the Elves is Morsil, the Dark Sheen.

It is told that in the days of Orodreth there lived by the Narog a solitary Elven warrior, skilled in war and song; and the goodwill of bird and beast was his, for he had vowed that never should any creature fall needlessly to his blade. Such a one was Morsil, a lone wanderer of hill and glen. And he was mighty among the Elves of Nargothrond, and failed never to answer the summons of his lord, nor the call of a friend in need.

So it came to pass that on a time his wanderings brought him into lands where dwelt of old a noble tribe of Wargs. Their chief and guardian was the mighty Warg-lord, Balcarkh, who is known also as the Jaws of Fate. Balcarkh knew well of any who passed within his realm, for the beasts, the trees, even the very wind were his allies, and news came to him from all quarters of happenings both great and small. Resolved to punish the insolence of one who would enter his kingdom without due obeisance to his majesty, the great Warg strode forth to meet the intruder, and so it was that he came alone to the edge of his realm and into the hunting grounds of the Petty Wargs. These creatures are more often found in the service of the Orcs and Goblins, for they lack the dignity and freedom of spirit that are the mark of the True Warg. Envious they are of their cousins, and yet contemptuous, for lacking honour in themselves they see it not in any other. And they came upon the dread Warg-lord and fell upon him in great numbers, for it was their way so to bring a strong foe to his knees. Nonetheless it went ill with them that day, for fully half their number were slain before first claw or fang were laid to the Warg-lord's flesh; yet their claws were smeared with poison, and they came upon him with such fury that the day would have gone ill with him had not Morsil come by in his hour of need.

The mighty sword of Morsil sprang unto his hand, shimmering with an inner flame as do the weapons of the High Elves; and he fought by the side of the great Warg until the foe were routed and lay piled about them. And his skills of healing were applied to the treacherous wounds of the Petty Wargs, and so was formed the alliance of Morsil and Balcarkh, whose deeds are writ large in the legends of the Elder Days. Indeed, many an age after their story ended, a bard of Rohan wrote of them a lament, a fragment of which yet remains, though oft misremembered as a chant for the Rohirrim.

Where now the Warg and his rider? Where are the lungs that were blowing?
Where are the sword and the hauberk, and the bright pelt flowing?
Where is the claw on the harpstring, and the red tongue glowing?
Where are the mate and the lair, and the young Wargs growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Squatter, it is wonderful to welcome yet another subscriber to the Appreciation Thread, especially a Downer held in awe by all such as yourself.

Excellent tale, I must say. The revelation about the poem of the Rohirrim is a real eye-opener for me. I have the traditional poem stuck on my wall and, though it is magnificent, it is only enhanced by the truth of the content.

I must apologise for the delay in my post. I had hoped to regail you all with a tale today, but events took an unexpected twist. I was in my study all set to put my notes together when, out of the blue, a wild Spider Monkey came crashing through my window. It rampaged through the room causing a frightful and most damaging mess of catastrophic proportions. It soon emitted a low subsonic scream in challenge of combat. It was just as well for yours truly that my father was at home at the time and, with his previous experience of fighting monkeys, was fully able to deal with this remarkable problem which had bulldozed its way into my day. It was a gory battle, and my father has now lost his sight in his left eye due to a particularly vicious gouge by the fiendish simian. However, the monkey was finally defeated, after my father employed a lethal karate chop to the beast's neck.

My study is now in a terrible mess and it may be a while before I can finally tell you all what happened in Khand on that weird and wonderful day.

[SamwiseGamgee]

What heinosity! I can hardly believe it. Just as well, indeed, that your father is such an expert monkey fighter. It reminds me of a tale regarding a golf commentator's daughter and a lifelong quest to eradicate all monkeys from the face of this planet. Gruesome.
Moving on, though, I depart in the eventide tomorrow for that fair land of Californai, and so shall I be fiendishly held from posting on this wonderous thread. If I get a chance I may post a field report and let you know how my warg spotting is going. I imagine I'll probably spend about eight days in a tent, just hoping to see a warg. One can but wish.
I'd also just like to welcome the newcomers to this thread (seems strange saying that to the Squatter!) and just comfort them with the fact that here at the Warg and Warg Rider Appreciation Thread we are a bunch of anally retentive warg-geeks (I'm speaking for Eomer and myself here), so if at first we seem slightly inflexible and stuck in our ways bear with us, it is many years of disappointment at the hands of this cruel world and its hatred of wargs that has made us this way!
And now I leave, may wargs speed my journey. Ciao

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Um...well said Samwise.

Have a most totally bodacious time in California. I'm sure the Wargs of the area already know of your coming but what they will do about it, I cannot say. As regards the golf commentator with the vendetta, I believe his name was Clive and he was a most controversial Englishman. Well, thats another story and another topic.

I promise, the next post I make shall be my long-overdue tale of Khand. Due to the delay I suspect that you will all be expecting far more of it than I can deliver. Nevermind, it features Wargs, what can possibly go wrong?