That's why I'm thinking 'setter' might be the straight part. Maybe a warrior from the lament for the fallen. Or perhaps a river can be a setter? We haven't had a river yet.

Or ... hang on ... a scribe. A setter puts writing into type, but perhaps it could work metaphorically for a people before the daisy wheel and the carbon sheet.

Or a trend setter.

Leod. Father of Eorl. name formed by initials of other clue words as indicated by at first.

Part of me wants setter to be Badger or Squatter himself as setter of the clue.

Quite so

Both reasonable. It's probably worth seeing where they go.
There are more options that you're not considering, but that's also a good direction to try.
Not to me. I like the typesetting, though.

Edit: I'm not at all happy with my definition for 9, but don't want to edit the puzzle this close to the end. I'll change it if nobody gets it over the weekend.

1. CIRION - Just over a century before rise of moody cinema, this character was known to be good
2. AGLAROND - Silver youth admits little Tolkien to dwarf tourist attraction
3. LEOD Ancestor lost everything on doubles at first
4. EOMER - King was simply nothing when confused
5. NORTH UNDEEP - River's southern profundity? Quite the reverse!
6. ALDOR - Provincial dormer through which one might glimpse the king
7. RIDDERMARK - Wear on saddle perhaps swallows large sum in equestrian parts.
8. D Captain has man downstairs in a flap.
9. H Setter doubly English about tree behind falling note in place for a good hiding
10. ORALD Ash or alder holding genius by another name.
11. NORTH-SOUTH ROAD Route descending from one point to another.

Due to its location and because it has FIR in it, perhaps Halifirien might work for the H clue.

Perhaps double English is two letters from the word English?

Or there are bits of the word 'English' either side of the FIR (so doubly), and the note A falls into the bit before?

It is Halifirien. Setter (I) doubly and En, around fir, after Lah backwards. The definition is rubbish, though, as nobody ever hid anything there. I must have confused it with Dunharrow.

1. CIRION - Just over a century before rise of moody cinema, this character was known to be good
2. AGLAROND - Silver youth admits little Tolkien to dwarf tourist attraction
3. LEOD Ancestor lost everything on doubles at first
4. EOMER - King was simply nothing when confused
5. NORTH UNDEEP - River's southern profundity? Quite the reverse!
6. ALDOR - Provincial dormer through which one might glimpse the king
7. RIDDERMARK - Wear on saddle perhaps swallows large sum in equestrian parts.
8. D Captain has man downstairs in a flap.
9. HALIFIRIEN Setter doubly English about tree behind falling note in place for a good hiding
10. ORALD Ash or alder holding genius by another name.
11. NORTH-SOUTH ROAD Route descending from one point to another.[/QUOTE]

I want to guess Dwimmerlaik for the last one on a hunch. All this time I've been going through leaders of the Rohirrim and their allies, so maybe an enemy would do better here.

And there was I, pondering who might have set the questions for the Meduseld Yule Quiz.

As Calenardhon includes Anorien, I've thought of DAMROD - Rod for the man, downstairs ... don't know, because it's at the end of the clue, not the beginning? Couldn't get the flap in at first, but could 'mad' be 'in a flap?' (Although in a flap is more likely to be an anagram indicator, perhaps). (No doubt all that is completely wrong).

I don't see how 'I' is a setter ... unless you set your eye on something?

Or was Mithalwen right? Was it I as in 'me' (meaning Squatter the Setter?)

P.S. Providing someone, at some point, has been duffed up in Halifirien, it is a good place for a hiding. No horcrux needed.

I considered Halifirien but couldn't make it tidy.

Dunhere? just to get out of system. I keep hearing it in my head as down here in a cod-Scottish accent "doon".... my head is a weird place

I like Mithalwen's reasoning. And the flapping wings of G55's Dwimmerlaik steed.

In a flap could be an anagram indicator with Captain as straight clue and the rest as the anagram or suggesting words that are in the anagram. But equally in a flap could be straight clue but seems less likely in this context. Man downstairs? As in a servant (upstairs downstairs) Hell.. probably something else...

I also considered it in the context of a directional clue: "flap" or "a flap" or synonyms of thereof surrounding the rest of the clue. But a scramble indicator seemed most likely to work.

DENETHOR has 'nether' in it, and it's in a flap. I was hoping a D.O. could be a kind of army officer, like a C.O., but no luck there.

None of those are the right answer, but Mithalwen is headed in the right direction.

There was a steward called DIOR, if the right direction part of Mithalwen's reasoning was 'servant' for 'man downstairs.'

Or it's 'Dori' in a flap, and Dori would be metaphorically downstairs as he was a dwarf?

That fits the clue nicely, but it's not the answer I had in mind. I was being a bit less metaphorical about the stairs.

Wondering if DARO could be the downstairs bit ... below/get down. But nearest captain DAMROD which I think you said was wrong.

Or DRUIN (wild man) in a flap could = DURIN, deep downstairs in Moria.

Neither of those, I'm afraid. Try more wordplay and less allusion.

Doorward (of Théoden) ie Hama is my thought now... He was Captain of the king's riders but when we first encounter him he is up some stairs, however as a servant he could be downstairs in that sense. But I feel there should be an anagram and I can't see it. But I am probably just plain wrong.

It's not Háma, but you'll get there if you follow various ideas you've put forward already.

I don't know how I missed this. That is the right answer. Sorry about the mix up: I've been particularly tired lately. Now that you've mentioned it, all I'm thinking is: Dunhere ye cannae get guid haggis. Care to have a stab at how it works?

The solution looks like this, and Pervinca had the password.

1. CIRION - Just over a century before rise of moody cinema, this character was known to be good
2. AGLAROND - Silver youth admits little Tolkien to dwarf tourist attraction
3. LEOD Ancestor lost everything on doubles at first
4. EOMER - King was simply nothing when confused
5. NORTH UNDEEP - River's southern profundity? Quite the reverse!
6. ALDOR - Provincial dormer through which one might glimpse the king
7. RIDDERMARK - Wear on saddle perhaps swallows large sum in equestrian parts.
8. DUNHERE Captain has man downstairs in a flap.
9. HALIFIRIEN Setter doubly English about tree behind falling note in place for a good hiding
10. ORALD Ash or alder holding genius by another name.
11. NORTH-SOUTH ROAD Route descending from one point to another

As a wise wizard said, absurdly simple when you have the answer. Dunhere, a captain is formed of an anagram of under and he.

Sorry about the ISIHAC Dougal and Hamish "You'll have had yer tea" style earworm. :o

Have one ready, but it's on my laptop and I'm somewhere without internet access. I'll try to post it tonight.

Here it is:
 

1. She’s a good catch, you hear, but it sounds like a twisted deal.
2. Orome loses an article, but two directions lead to her.
3. Blue Peter dog, we hear, is very clever. She runs backwards and secures the room!
4. See him labour and aspirate with four-fifths of a battering ram, however badly.
5. Perturbed, the blessed Welsh virgin joins the air force, running back to find him.
6. She wraps knowledge (albeit twisted) around a volatile metal.
7. Foxy place of note; sounds like he needs to defrost, though.

2. Arwen = araw - a + e + n

I believe #5 is FARAMIR (backwards). Mari (Welsh form of Mary) + R.A.F.

It's Mair, not Mari, but it gets you the same letters.

Both answers are correct. :)

1. She’s a good catch, you hear, but it sounds like a twisted deal.
Arwen: Orome loses an article, but two directions lead to her.
3. Blue Peter dog, we hear, is very clever. She runs backwards and secures the room!
4. See him labour and aspirate with four-fifths of a battering ram, however badly.
Rimaraf: Perturbed, the blessed Welsh virgin joins the air force, running back to find him.
6. She wraps knowledge (albeit twisted) around a volatile metal.
7. Foxy place of note; sounds like he needs to defrost, though.

6. ELANOR as lore + Na

Indeed. (And sodium is probably volatile even without flipping itself backwards).

1. She’s a good catch, you hear, but it sounds like a twisted deal.
Arwen: Orome loses an article, but two directions lead to her.
3. Blue Peter dog, we hear, is very clever. She runs backwards and secures the room!
4. See him labour and aspirate with four-fifths of a battering ram, however badly.
Rimaraf: Perturbed, the blessed Welsh virgin joins the air force, running back to find him.
Elanor: She wraps knowledge (albeit twisted) around a volatile metal.
7. Foxy place of note; sounds like he needs to defrost, though.

Perhaps Mithalwen can help with 3? She'll remember the same generation of Blue Peter dogs as me.

Mith? Where are you?:(

By the way, does "she" refer to the answer or to the clue (the dog)?

That would be telling. :p

But I guess it's kind of both.

Mith has migraine and is trying to sort out removals and aunts and Christmas.
These things may not be entirely unrelated.:cool:

Blue Peter dogs I remember are Shep, Petra and the spectacularly unoriginally named Goldie (golden retriever) though I suppose we should be grateful - these days a public vote would no doubt have resulted in Doggy McDogface.

Petra and Goldie were bitches and Shep was a dog

Well, Pervinca says "she" refers to both clue and answer. And she runs backwards...

Artep? Eidlog? Anyone remember these characters?

Firstly, there is an important part of the clue that you are ignoring.

Secondly, I didn't say whether the answer ran backwards before or after it was assembled.

I'm going to throw out a random guess for Goldilocks Gardner (what were you saying about unimaginative names...?), which captures 'Blue Peter dog', 'secures the room' (locks), and 'she'. I can't make it fit the rest of the clue (unless 'Skcoliglog' rings any bells...?), but I'm not spectacular at these and may be missing something obvious.

I feel like there was also a Blue Peter dog named Bonnie. Bonnie+Door = Gondor, if 'we hear' means something like 'sounds like'. And, um... Gondor is very clever? :D?

(I guess backwards that would be 'Rodnog', which could possibly be valid Sindarin.)

Welcome to the boards, Huinesoron, and to the joys of (mostly) cryptic Tolkien clues. :)

Goldilocks is correct. It runs backwards because I couldn't make the password AND the theme work otherwise. The 'we hear' is because we hear 'Goldie' but we don't use the 'e.'

1. She’s a good catch, you hear, but it sounds like a twisted deal.
Arwen: Orome loses an article, but two directions lead to her.
Skcolidlog: Blue Peter dog, we hear, is very clever. She runs backwards and secures the room!
4. See him labour and aspirate with four-fifths of a battering ram, however badly.
Rimaraf: Perturbed, the blessed Welsh virgin joins the air force, running back to find him.
Elanor: She wraps knowledge (albeit twisted) around a volatile metal.
7. Foxy place of note; sounds like he needs to defrost, though.

Long shot- is the password FASTRED?

Yes.

F: She’s a good catch, you hear, but it sounds like a twisted deal.
Arwen: Orome loses an article, but two directions lead to her.
Skcolidlog: Blue Peter dog, we hear, is very clever. She runs backwards and secures the room!
T: See him labour and aspirate with four-fifths of a battering ram, however badly.
Rimaraf: Perturbed, the blessed Welsh virgin joins the air force, running back to find him.
Elanor: She wraps knowledge (albeit twisted) around a volatile metal.
D: Foxy place of note; sounds like he needs to defrost, though.

Mith, I remember a public vote for the naming of Goldie's puppies. Maybe there was one for Goldie herself and I didn't know? Anyway, the winning name for a puppy was Lady Diana, which I believe they shortened to Lady. I guess it was 1981. ;)

Might as well clear this one up
 

I think these are probably the remaining answers.

1. Finduilas: Find, u, anagram of sail
4. Turgon: T[rade] U[nion], and anagram of Gron[d]
7. Denethor: Den, E, thor

Welcome to the Downs, Huinesoron. Have fun being dead.

Homophone of sale.

And thor sounds like thaw, of course.

Two correct. But Turgon is wrong.

As a hint, if you can work out what the theme is, it may lead you to the remaining answer.

Finduilas: She’s a good catch, you hear, but it sounds like a twisted deal.
Arwen: Orome loses an article, but two directions lead to her.
Skcolidlog: Blue Peter dog, we hear, is very clever. She runs backwards and secures the room!
T: See him labour and aspirate with four-fifths of a battering ram, however badly.
Rimaraf: Perturbed, the blessed Welsh virgin joins the air force, running back to find him.
Elanor: She wraps knowledge (albeit twisted) around a volatile metal.
Denethor: Foxy place of note; sounds like he needs to defrost, though.