Riddles in the Downs

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Oh, yes, could be... hmm... do you have any particular idea what kind of hint should I give? Because I can't stumble upon anything right now

Well, I can advise you - forget the first three lines and think about them as the last thing. Focus on the second part.

[Thinlómien]

Could it be Maglor?

We left our homes
for the new lands. - obvious, Noldor left Aman

With my high hopes
I failed my friends. - erm... he wished to survive of the oath more peacefully then his brothers

Rain pouring down,
creature unknown
that brought us doom. - hmm... ok, no comments, I'm sure it could mean something, but I don't just feel like torturing my brain anymore

Now I am left to talk to myself.
What now to do? Sit down or play?
But the doom came: Forever stay. - Maglor's end alone in the shores, "bonded" to the Silmaril he threw to the sea and according to legends, always singing and playing by the seashore.

Any close?

[Gil-Galad]

Durin the Deathless?

We left our homes
for the new lands.

- dwarves leaving the belegost and nogrod for moria.

With my high hopes
I failed my friends.

- dwarves was adamant against sauron, but in the end they excluded everyone around them and focused on themselves and their greed


Rain pouring down,
creature unknown
that brought us doom.

- the sleeping Balrog that drove the dwarves out.


Now I am left to talk to myself.
What now to do? Sit down or play?
But the doom came: Forever stay.

- called Durins Bane, forever etched in the minds of all dwarves.

Durin the Deathless includes every Durin due to his name, and with that they each experienced the rise and fall of moria.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I must disappoint you - neither of your answers is correct. Lommy, I suggest you try to rack your brain a little more to find an explanation even for the rain part Gil, your interpretations are sometimes very... forced, and you certainly don't provide any interpretation for the "rain pouring down" part. That is no poetic filler to make a rhyme or anything like that. In fact, I suggest focusing more on the "rain pouring down" verse than on the "we left our homes" part - the explanation of the home-leaving is far, far less apparent, I believe.

But don't let that bring you down - keep trying

[Dimturiel]

Could it be Turin?


We left our homes
for the new lands.-Turin being sent from Dor-lomin to Doriath
With my high hopes
I failed my friends.- The kingdom of Nargothrond is destroyed because of his high hopes
Rain pouring down,-it was raining when Nienor arrived near Brethil
creature unknown
that brought us doom.-Glaurung, coming to attack Brethil
Now I am left to talk to myself.
What now to do? Sit down or play?-after Glaurung is killed, Turin debates whether he should seek his kin in Doriath or avoid them so as not to cast his doom upon them
But the doom came: Forever stay.-Mablung brings him the tidings which prove that Nienor was Niniel and Turin kills himself.

I know I must be way off...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Well, not that bad, but it is not the correct answer. Why the strong emphasis on "we" when we'd be talking about Túrin alone? And the "we" are all the same all the time. In fact, the riddle is pretty consistent. We have the Subject, Its Friends (all subsumed under "we" in the beginning), and Creature Unknown. That's all, and that's all you need to know. And still the whole life story of the subject is caught there, not missing a single important thing.

[Eönwë]

Could it be Beren and Luthien?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

And which of them would be the "I"? But no, I can tell you, it's neither of them.

Keep trying. Really, it's very simple.

[Gollum the Great]

How's Hurin?


He took off for the battle of Unnumbered Tears,
With his hopes of victory he ultimately failed,
Rain- no idea, creature- shall we say collectively the traitors of the Easterlings
Then he sat for years on that chair by himself,
And then he was set free and had time on his hands
And he found out about the deaths of his children and his wife died, leaving him with practically nothing to live for.

Maybe this is bizarre, but distintelly possible.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Good try, but unfortunately wrong.

The "creature unknown" is quite important there (since it brought "them" doom!), and it is only one creature, really, not any collective label for a group. Also, it was unknown - that's also very, very, very, very important - the Easterlings, after all, were known to the others. Their treachery was unknown (or rather: unforseen; at the moment it really came to be, it of course became, and thus was, known even to the betrayed ones).

[Azaghâl]

Originally Posted by Gollum the Great

[...]

Rain- no idea, [...]

The rain part is puzzling indeed.
I can't think of so many occasions when it rains in any of the books, and none seems to fit with the rest of the riddle.

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Oh, yes, could be... hmm... do you have any particular idea what kind of hint should I give? Because I can't stumble upon anything right now

[...]

Would you maybe tell us which book your riddle is referring to, or would that make it too easy?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Azaghâl

The rain part is puzzling indeed.
I can't think of so many occasions when it rains in any of the books, and none seems to fit with the rest of the riddle.


Would you maybe tell us which book your riddle is referring to, or would that make it too easy?

I think it would; and that itself is a hint Indeed, maybe as there are not too many, you may try to think about situations when it rains in the books. Write these occassions down or something and then try if the rest would fit with them. This one would fit!

[Azaghâl]

Legate, I hope you're still around because I think I have it.

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

We left our homes
for the new lands.
With my high hopes
I failed my friends.

'What the 'ell William was a-thinkin' of to bring us into these parts at all, beats me - and the drink runnin' short, what's more,'

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Rain pouring down,

Then the rain began to pour down worse than ever, and Oin and Gloin began to fight.

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

creature unknown
that brought us doom.

'A burrahobbit?' said they a bit startled.

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Now I am left to talk to myself.
What now to do? Sit down or play?
But the doom came: Forever stay.

William never spoke for he stood turned to stone as he stooped; and Bert and Tom were stuck like rocks as they looked at him.

If that is not correct, then I will ask for a hint.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Yay!!! Finally! Wonderful, Azaghal, you have accomplished what many attempted but could not do! Fantastic! Congratulations to you! And you may now take the thread and give us something of your production for exchange

[Azaghâl]

Thanks for the compliments, Legate. Here's what I could come up with:

Once an ambassador in the North,
I held briefly one of the three in my hand,
A mere warrior when tears were shed uncounted,
Twice a bearer of fateful news,
Twice as a warden I failed.


Hope this is not too easy, also please bear with a non-native English speaker.

[Nerwen]

Mablung?

Once an ambassador in the North, –he was one of the messengers Thingol sent north to the Feast of Reuniting.

I held briefly one of the three in my hand, – he cut the Silmaril from Carcharoth's body and passed it to Beren.

A mere warrior when tears were shed uncounted, –he fought in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears.

Twice a bearer of fateful news, –he brought Thingol and Melian the news of Carcharoth's onslaught and the news that Morwen and Nienor were lost.

Twice as a warden I failed. –He failed to keep Carcharoth or the Dwarves of Nogrod out of Doriath.

[Azaghâl]

Well done, Nerwen. Maybe it was too easy after all. Only nitpick: the fateful news I had in mind were about the arrival of Carcharoth which led to Beren's death, and the news about Nienor leading to Turin's death.

Also, the failures as a warden I had in mind were his death before the gates in Menegroth at the hand of the Dwarves, and his failure to keep Morwen and Nienor safe. This last one may be my fault as I am not sure wether "warden" is the proper word when applied to people, or is only correct for places (like I said English is not my first language).

Anyway, the thread is yours, Nerwen.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Azaghâl

Also, the failures as a warden I had in mind were his death before the gates in Menegroth at the hand of the Dwarves, and his failure to keep Morwen and Nienor safe.

It occurred to me that you might mean that, but I went with his failure to prevent assaults on Doriath, because "warden" tends to be used in the sense of someone in charge of a place... though it isn't clear-cut.

Okay, now I have to think up a riddle. I am terrible at this.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Indeed you are. It's been two and half months and you still couldn't come up with anything. Unbelievable.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

I think Nerwen has alltogether forsaken the quiz room

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

I think Nerwen has alltogether forsaken the quiz room

If you're worried, you could always PM her...

[The Might]

In a heroic attempt to revive the Quiz Room, The Might returns on a shiny Dragon he was able to buy with money he made of the latest financial crisis. So after a lot of deals with corrupt businessmen he now feels strong enough to announce the next riddle:

A term of address, simple in sense
Fairly normal, without any glance
To a great explorer once given
By his father who had just seen'em.

You have 48 hours.

[Thinlómien]

I think at least I need a hint.

[The Might]

Well, a bigger hint then I should probably give: Númenor

[Beregond]

I'm convinced this has something to do with Aldarion and his father Meneldur; but I think you need a more specific answer?

[The Might]

Yes, that is true, now you need to tell me the term used.
You of course must realise that I cannot really give any more hints now.

[Beregond]

I do not think I will ever remember without looking in the book. It's been too long since I read it. Good riddle!

[Beregond]

Are you looking for "King"? As in Tar-Aldarion , King of Numenor?

[The Might]

It's "normal, without glance".

Nothing like "The Awesome" or "The Great" or even "King".

EDIT: your answer just made me think of an Elvis-like Aldarion.

[The Might]

Still no luck? Then think about family ties.

[Beregond]

Could you possibly mean "son"?

[The Might]

Yes! And the Elvish for it would be...

[Eönwë]

Onya?

[The Might]

Correct! Take it away, sir!

[Rumil]

Where's Eonwe?

I'm riddle-deprived

[Eönwë]

I'm sorry. You can take it if you want.

[skip spence]

I attempted a little riddle. Hope no-one minds me jumping in (or my awkward rhymes)...

Winged sun first light did greet
Flowers sprang beneath his feet
But despite all his valour and might
Bright day turned into blackest night

The weight I carried was no longer there
A burden too heavy for me to bear

[Rumil]

Hi Skip,

nice one,

could it be Fingolfin?

Winged sun first light did meet,
Flowers sprang beneath his feet -when the sun first rose ovee the host of Noldor
But despite all his valour and might,
Bright day turned into blackest night, - of the duel of Fingolfin and Morgoth

The weight I carried was no longer there
A burden too heavy for me to bear - guilt over the kinslaying, or the weight of Morgoth's big boot?

[skip spence]

Close, but no cigar, Rumil.

The first four lines do refer to Fingolfin though.

[Rumil]

Aha,

tis clear now, surely Rochallor, Fingolfin's mighty steed?

The burden being the High King himself

(I guess Rochallor was fortunate that Forlong wasn't his master!)