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Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 6:36 am
by Elarith
Sorry, I think I’ve been too obscure. :oops: This is a thing / place towards the eastern edge of the Shire.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 6:58 am
by KingODuckingham
Alright, Brandywine Bridge appears to have been built by the Dunedain, so that's my next guess.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 7:04 am
by Androthelm
Oh -- @KingODuckingham you got in just before me to say it. The Bridge is also blocked when they return for Scouring of the Shire isn't it? "Delayed a returning"

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:13 am
by Elarith
Yes! Well done @KingODuckingham and honourable mention to @Androthelm too for working out the bridge being closed in ‘the Scouring’ chapter. :smiley22:

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 3:45 pm
by KingODuckingham
I'd be proud, but it took me a few too many hints and guesses. Great riddle though, that's how it should be, tree-twisting! Here's my entry:

I lived and died as usual, but came back bigger, tougher, and immortal.
I am eternally employed, but for a long while my employers could make no use of my work.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 4:08 pm
by Li.
The secret fire!

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 8:42 pm
by KingODuckingham
Your guess fits surprisingly well but I am thinking of something completely different.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:56 pm
by Túrin
Might be out in left field here, but is it perhaps the Silmarils?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:28 am
by Flame Fried Ent
Gandalf?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 1:10 am
by KingODuckingham
Neither of those. A hint: the first bit refers to a person, the rest not to a person, but the same person, if you see what I mean.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 3:41 am
by Li.
Bilbo?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 4:07 am
by Flame Fried Ent
Glorfindel

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 8:26 pm
by KingODuckingham
Wew sorry for a break, my parents are in town and I'm not at the computer much. Let me try to clarify the hint a bit more. The person named in the beginning was immortalized by an object, and that object is what most of my riddle is about.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 8:46 pm
by Flame Fried Ent
The phial of Galadriel?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 8:57 pm
by Mojo
Hmm, branching off of that it could be Vingilot the ship of Earendil the Mariner which was hallowed and placed among the stars?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:07 pm
by KingODuckingham
Nay, I will give a secondary, focusing hint: This person and object both originate from Gondor.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:48 pm
by Li.
Um, Brahir?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 8:34 pm
by Idesinholde
I want to guess the Argonath; the pillars of the Kings, as I think it might fit for some of your hints, and the top line of the riddle. Not sure about the second line, but I'm guessing it anyways. :smiley15:

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 8:36 pm
by Mojo
The Argonath would fit with the first portion of the riddle.

Edit: Ahh simul-post!

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:04 pm
by Li.
Congratulations on the first simul post of the new Plaza!

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:39 pm
by KingODuckingham
Ayy, I guess it goes to @Idesinholde , just barely. Do you think the 2nd line doesn't fit given the shrinking of Gondor in the 3rd Age?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:29 pm
by Idesinholde
@Mojo Great minds think alike! :smiley15:
@KingODuckingham No, I can see how it fits when you put it like that. I was just thinking it worked/was being used always, but if you think of them belonging to Gondor then the employeer part makes sense.

Uh oh now I need to figure out a riddle! :smiley16:

Ruling a land that was gifted, named in an old language rarely spoken. A title for a name.

I made it short because if I said anything more I think it would be too obvious. I'm not very good at these haha

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:16 am
by Mojo
Good work @Idesinholde! Great minds indeed!

Is yours Tar-Palantir, the penultimate King of Numenor who tried to bring back the "old ways" of the faithful?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 2:09 pm
by Li.
Is it Eorl the Young? He was the first king of Rohan and the lands were gifted to him and his people by the Steward of Gondor, Cirion. I'm stumped on the "named in an old language rarely spoken" part because my knowledge of ME languages is diabolical.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 5:25 am
by Idesinholde
@Li. It is indeed Eorl the Young! Told you it was easy :smiley9:

My reasoning - For aiding Gondor he and his people were gifted land that is now Rohan. His name means Earl in Old English which is rarely spoken these days.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 1:45 pm
by Li.
I won something!

It's quite hard to write a riddle without giving too much away. Equally, it can feel like you aren't putting enough information in for readers to have a reasonable chance of guessing. However, less is more and if this isn't enough to go on then I can always write a bit more.

A curious traveller,
Who returned home in grief.
A tall and fair maiden,
With love of bird and leaf.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 5:56 pm
by KingODuckingham
I agree, it's hard to put yourself on either side of the coin at once when writing a riddle. I have the same trouble making puzzles for my DnD group. :smiley16:

My first guess is going to be Luthien. Doesn't seem to fit everything but my brain takes some time to un-tree.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 2:56 am
by Mojo
Branching off of Ducky's guess (pun intended, of course), I'll guess Melian the mother of Luthien and wife of Elu Thingol.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 3:22 pm
by Flame Fried Ent
Celebrian?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 5:38 pm
by Li.
Well done Mojo, the answer is Melian. She travelled into Middle Earth out of curiosity and filled the silence with the songs of her birds. She was grief stricken when Elu Thingol met his downfall and her love of bird and leaf meant she was most akin to Yavanna, out of the Ainur. I can't remember a specific reference to her height, but my head canon is that all of the Ainur were tall :smiley16: .

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 8:42 pm
by Mojo
Oh cool, lucky guess and thanks to Ducky for the assist there!

In ages past I once have held
The greatest treasures of the world.
But nevermore shall they return
To my hidden halls.
All quiet now since blood hath stained
And my people are all gone.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 9:40 pm
by Almarëa Mordollwen
Is this Formenos, the fortress where Fëanor once kept the Silmarils, and where Morgoth slew Finwë?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:01 am
by Mojo
Once again, @Almarëa Mordollwen guesses my riddle! Maybe my next turn I should just give my turn right to her :smiley9:

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 12:42 am
by Almarëa Mordollwen
I only just realized there was a riddle thread in Fangorn as well! :smiley9: Here we go with another attempt:

A cold voice,
hungry for blood;
one of only two,
with a dark heart.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 8:07 pm
by KingODuckingham
Is this the Barrow-wight that gets its hand chopped off by Frodo in FOTR?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 8:27 pm
by Almarëa Mordollwen
No, it is not the Barrow-wight.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 9:56 pm
by Flame Fried Ent
Ungoliant?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:32 pm
by KingODuckingham
Is it Carcharoth, one of two named werewolves in the Silmarillion?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2020 10:43 pm
by Elarith
Is it Gurthang?

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 12:42 am
by Almarëa Mordollwen
It is indeed Gurthang, formerly known as Anglachel, one of two swords forged from the ore of a meteorite by Eöl the Dark Elf. @Elarith it is your turn.
But as Thingol turned the hilt of Anglachel towards Beleg, Melian looked at the blade; and she said: 'There is malice in this sword. The dark heart of the smith still dwells in it. It will not love the hand it serves; neither will it abide with you long.'
And from the blade [Gurthang] rang a cold voice in answer: 'Yea, I will drink thy blood gladly, that so I may forget the blood of Beleg my master, and the blood of Brandir slain unjustly. I will slay thee swiftly.'

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 9:26 pm
by Elarith
Thanks @Almarëa Mordollwen ! That was a good one. Here we go then:

Deep in the dark I lived
Trapped the unwary in scores
My death paid for friendship
But brought on a war

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2020 11:31 pm
by Li.
My guess would be Gollum. He certainly fit's living in the deep, dark and trapping the unwary. In some ways, Smeagol is said to have died as Gollum was born, this process starting when Smeagol killed his friend for the One Ring. It could also be argued that when the One Ring was found, this precipitated the start of the War of the Ring.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 3:29 pm
by Elarith
Close, @Li. , but not quite!

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 7:23 pm
by KingODuckingham
I'm going to guess Shelob, although that requires some, uh, "creative" interpretation of the final two lines. Gotta start somewhere though!

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:28 pm
by Elarith
No, sorry. Li's guess was closer...

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:45 pm
by Androthelm
Is it the Great Goblin? He...

Lived in Goblin-Town
Trapped unwary travelers on the high road
His death ... sort of paid back a few friendships, thought they're all stretches. Gandalf's Friends From Rivendell who lead to him rescuing the dwarves from the Trolls, the Lord of the Eagles paying back a debt to Gandalf... Not sure on this one.
And it is the death of the Great Goblin which stirs up the Goblins of the Misty Mountains, leading to the Battle of the Five Armies (as we know it, anyway).

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:48 pm
by Elarith
@Bombadillo Yes! It was the Great Goblin. The 'friendship' I was hinting at - though friendship probably is too strong a word - was more between the Company and Beorn, who is a bit nicer to them after he finds out they've done in the Big G.

Floor's all yours.

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 4:31 pm
by Androthelm
Ohh! That makes a lot more sense.

A counter, a conner, a coin-man
(thanks to riches my heart does not beat)
I lived in a desolate kingdom
and saw the king as a fraud and a cheat

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 7:05 pm
by KingODuckingham
This sounds like the Master of Lake Town, who thought Thorin was a fraud and a cheat!

Re: Tree-Twisting Riddles

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2020 11:36 pm
by Androthelm
It was too easy then -- or @KingODuckingham is too good! But who can blame me, I had Hobbit on my mind.