Tree-Twisting Riddles

For Fangorn is old, old even as the Elves would reckon it.
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I also had the Hobbit on my mind after the last riddle, so my mind was probably just following yours!

So I'm going to try something a little different: I'm going to give you all a series of scrambled letters, and you give me the unscrambled name, either of a person, object, or location:

5 words, one word before comma, 4 after. The number of letters before and after the comma I have not changed. If this is too easy or too hard, I am sorry, just wanted to mix it up.
wdlitns, fuofaeethalmer

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@KingODuckingham, I am having fun trying to figure this out! But I just wanted to confirm that none of the letters in the unscrambled answer have accents?

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Ahhh, great question. I do not know how to put accents above my letters, either in general when typing or specifically on the plaza, but confirmed that there should be one acute accent over the U.

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Gosh this took some thinking, but I think I've got it!

Andúril, Flame of the West?

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If I recall correctly, back in the days of the Old Plaza, "Tree Twisting Riddles" included some visual puzzles like this one as well as the typical "poetic" riddles. So yes, this is still on brand for the thread!
Fangorn Forever

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Awesome, good job @Dwim , you got it! I was a little worried about the difficulty and also the interest in that sort of thing, major props for figuring it out.

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Thanks Ducky!

I'll go with another word scramble, with another acute accent on a u. This one is three words, and could be a person, object, or location:

nopti anri útuno

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Tirion upon Túna, I believe you are looking for?
She/her. Almarëa - Rivendell / Jaena - Lone Lands (T.A.) and Gondor (F.A.) / Layna - Mordor

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@Almarëa Mordollwen, that is indeed it! Very well done, as always. 👏

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One more word scramble, since my brain is failing at creating riddles today:

(Could be a person, work, language, or phrase)

úhîh r ina innnr
She/her. Almarëa - Rivendell / Jaena - Lone Lands (T.A.) and Gondor (F.A.) / Layna - Mordor

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Is it...Narn i hin Hurin (for "Tales of the Children of Húrin") which was part of the Unfinished Tales?
Fangorn Forever

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Yes, it is. @Mojo, you have the floor.
She/her. Almarëa - Rivendell / Jaena - Lone Lands (T.A.) and Gondor (F.A.) / Layna - Mordor

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Just poking this thread - @Mojo, when you have the time to spare, it is your turn!
She/her. Almarëa - Rivendell / Jaena - Lone Lands (T.A.) and Gondor (F.A.) / Layna - Mordor

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Oh, thanks for the poke, I completely forgot about this. Maybe I am getting a little *too* Entish!

Since I've delayed long enough, I'll leave it up to an open floor for anyone who would like to do the next riddle. Sorry for the delay!
Fangorn Forever

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I've read a LOT of riddles in the archived threads, so I'm going to shamelessly cannibalize a riddle once used on this very plaza, in ancient days. I feel like the riddles here on nuplaza are generally wayyy harder than the ones posted back when most people only knew the most basic LOTR facts, but eh.

Long ago I was peopled.
I am now emptied of all but fair stone.
Walk here under open sky and you walk alone.

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Not sure this totally fits, but I will take a guess: Amon Hen?

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Also don't think it's quite right but Hollin?

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@Elarith You are correct! In Fellowship of the Ring Legolas says a paraphrased version of this riddle in reference to Hollin (or Eregion in the common tongue). The floor is now yours!

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Well then I shall take this floor. Here you go:

Out of the West I came
Long have I endured
From West to north
Then southwards again
Far older than others
But with none of their powers

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For some reason, Tom Bombadil was my first thought.
Do not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Good with Ketchup.

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Is this referring to Celeborn? He came out of the West as a non-Noldor, but lived in Beleriand with Galadriel, but then of course they returned to Lothlorien. He didn't have some of the powers that other Elves had, being Sindarin (maybe, I'm kind of fuzzy on my elf lore).

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Totally see how Tom B could maybe fit but it’s not him or Celeborn, sorry!

It is an object.

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Ring of Barahir?
Do not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Good with Ketchup.

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@Flame Fried Ent Yes! Well done! Over to you...

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Thanks!

Hmmmmm....

6 main groupings
Are we rumoured to have.
Little is known of us,
Though we are among the Eldest.
Forests are our friends,
And refused to travel at the bidding of others.
Do not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Good with Ketchup.

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Is it the Avari?

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And here I was trying to be tricksy!

Yes, it is, @Dwim
Do not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Good with Ketchup.

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Ok then!

Made of that which all folk desire.
Once lent out to gather dust,
Once stolen,
And twice given as a gift.
The sight of it once caused despair.


What is it?

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Bilbo's mithril coat, perhaps?
they/them/actual hobbit in search of a merrier world

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Whoo, that one was gone in a flash!

Yes indeed it is the mithril coat, @Menolly. :thumbs:

Gandalf said that all folk desired Mithril.
Bilbo once lent it to the Mathom-house for display.
It was stolen from Frodo by the orcs at Cirith Ungol.
Thorin gave it as a gift to Bilbo. Then Bilbo to Frodo.
And it caused despair when the Mouth of Sauron showed it outside the Black Gate.

:grin:

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Three are we
Fearsome guards we be
But we obey
When our master says stay
they/them/actual hobbit in search of a merrier world

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Uhhh does this refer to three Elven Rings? I'm thinking especially of Elrond using his Ring to guard Rivendell but there are strict geographical limits on at least two of the rings, and even Gandalf's is hidden.

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Is it Grip, Fang and Wolf; Farmer Maggot's dogs?

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@Li. has it! And here I was trying to make it at least a little bit trickier. Your turn!
they/them/actual hobbit in search of a merrier world

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The echoes of doggo lingo were a good hint :grin:

RIght, let's see if I can make this one a bit trickier than my last...

A spirit as pure as the sun
Succumbed to dark and sleep
With avarice begun
It woke their slumber deep

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I really like the way this riddle is written.

Is it Durin's Bane?

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Yes :lol:

I guess I'm a better word smith than I am a riddle writer! The floor is yours Dwim :smile:

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Thanks Li! Here's a new one -

If you find me, do not fret,
But these conditions should be met:
The threat of a wind blow,
And frozen marrow,
A swift smack with a stick,
That, perhaps, will do the trick.


Who or what am I?

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If memory serves, merry ol' Tom Bombadil hit Old Man Willow with a stick to free the Hobbits, so that'll be my guess.
What, she killed them with mathematics. What else could it have been? - Jayne Cobb

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That is correct! He also threatened to sing his roots off, and to cause a wind that would blow his leaves off, and also freeze his marrow!

@Túrin, you're up!

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Woo-hoo! For the next, who is described in the lines below:

Yet all his kin now marched away,
as old tales tell, to seek the bay
on the last shore of mortal lands,
where mighty ships with magic hands
they made, and sailed beyond the seas.
What, she killed them with mathematics. What else could it have been? - Jayne Cobb

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Ooh I am really bad at elf-related anything, but perhaps Celeborn?
they/them/actual hobbit in search of a merrier world

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Is it, Finarfin?

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What about Thingol?

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All good guesses, but @Dwim is correct! These lines were actually penned by Tolkien, and are taken from the Lay of Leithian.

@Menolly's guess of Celeborn gets an honorable mention, since Thingol and Celeborn were kin.
What, she killed them with mathematics. What else could it have been? - Jayne Cobb

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Thanks Túrin!

What does this one describe?

Looking west forever more,
Made for a man of Númenor.
Yet elves at times did journey here,
At far off Lands they could then peer.
Two others there were, quite like me,
But they could not look beyond the sea.

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Is it Amon Hen?

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Hmm, I can see a couple ways to go with this, but I'm going to guess that it's the palantir at Elostirion, which looked only to the West.
What, she killed them with mathematics. What else could it have been? - Jayne Cobb

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The Tower Hills?
Do not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Good with Ketchup.

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@Túrin, the exact answer was Elostirion itself, hence the line "Two others there were, quite like me". But I feel it would be unfair not to award it to you, since the Palantir is referred to in the riddle. :wink:

You're up!

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