Words!!!!!!

[Eruanna]

I'll try this one

Laiquendi: Also known as the Green-elves of Ossiriand. Elves of the First Age, originally Nandor they came from the East and, led by Lenwë's son Denethor, they crossed the Misty Mountains. They finally settled between the Blue Mountains and the River Gelion in the Land of The Seven Rivers, also known as Ossiriand.

[Shelob]

I'm not responding because I can think of a race that begins with 'I' but more to respond to The Saucepan Man's question of

Any ideas as to when the theme should change? (If this thread ever makes it that far, that is).

you could have it so that once no-one can think of another within the category (so once no-one can think of another race in this case) the theme gets changed. It's only a question of whether the new theme gets named by the last person to get an answer in the last theme or by the person who began the thread originally.

It's just an idea...but it might help to give some structure to this.

[The Saucepan Man]

Good idea Shelob (and welcome to the Downs, by the way ).

If no new answer has been given after ... say 5 days ... then the person who gave the last answer can start with a new subject.

I'm suggesting 5 days because it is well within the 10 days after which anyone can start with a new subject.

Let's go with that.

[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

I'll offer this for the letter "I".

Ithryn Luin - the two Blue Wizards who were lost in the East long before the War of the Ring. Their names were Alatar and Pallando.

I was going to say Istari, but it just lands us back in the same position with "I", so hopefully since there were two Blue Wizards they can be a very small race unto themselves.

I rather like the idea of this thread, if it can get off the ground. It might develop into an interesting little game.

Sophia

[Firefoot]

Naugrim - aka the Dwarves. Translated as "The Stunted People."

[ohtatyaro]

Moriquendi - Elves of the Darkness' or Dark Elves

But since it ends us with I again, (I'm sorry, could not think up anything without I on its end ), I suggest we can use the ending S of Common Speach translation)

Or, Besides answering, I propose a modification too - if the ending letter is the 'hard one' (say, i or q), let it be allowed to use the last letter of the translation, eh?

[The Saucepan Man]

Although the point of the game (as it has developed) is to try to gain control of the thread by setting a difficult end letter. In other words, the "winner" on any one theme is the person who provides an answer which cannot be followed. On that basis, I suggest that the actual end letter used in the answer given should be the one required to start the next word.