Today in Middle-earth, April 8

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The remote server returned an unexpected response: (417) Expectation failed.
April 8, 2014 at 1:00 am by grammaboodawg  - 

The following event(s) took place in Middle-earth on April 8th:

The Ring-bearers are honoured on the Field of Cormallen (3019)The Ring-bearers revisit fair Ithilien (3019)

1. The Ring-bearers are honoured on the Field of Cormallen.

(from the appendices)

“When Sam awoke, he found that he was lying on some soft bed…  …All the air was full of a sweet mingled scent.

He remembered that smell: the fragrance of Ithilien.”

(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 282-288 RotK)

2. The Ring-bearers revisit fair Ithilien.

(not from the appendices)

“Orcs, and talking trees, and leagues of grass, and galloping riders, and glittering caves, and white towers and golden halls, and battles, and tall ships sailing, all these passed before Sam’s mind until he felt bewildered.”

(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 288-289 RotK)

Posted in Calendar, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, Today in Middle-earth on April 8, 2014 by grammaboodawg Today in Middle-earth, April 8 | Discuss

Father vs Son! The Middle-earth March Madness Final is set! Thranduil vs. Legolas!

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The remote server returned an unexpected response: (417) Expectation failed.
April 6, 2014 at 9:16 am by newsfrombree  - 

In what is possibly of the biggest boilovers imaginable, Middle-earth March Madness for 2014 has come down to a father-son battle for the title honours!

That’s right: it’s a Thranduil vs Legolas final.

After a very slow semi-final start, Thranduil clawed his way back through the field to eventually topple Aragorn out of the contest, while Legolas and Thorin waged a neck-and-neck battle for quite some time before the former pulled away in the vote.

In all 37,000 votes were cast in the semi-final.

Now we’re left with the ultimate Elven question: who really is the prettiest? (just joking!)

It’s a tough choice though: Legolas might be one of the Nine Walkers and a member of the Fellowship if the Ring, but Thranduil has reigned over Mirkwood for more than 3,400 years.

There can only be one (as they say in Highlander). So cast your vote now!

Voting closes 10pm ET on April 7. Happy Voting!

Download the Brackets! [Final Four][Elite Eight][Round 4] [Round 3] [Round 2] [Round 1]

Remember:

March Madness is all for fun and the criteria for voting is left to each individual. So everyone will have their own reasons for voting and that’s Okay!

TORn is a home for all fans of Tolkien and all media and culture that has arisen from Tolkien. From the newest visitor to the most senior staff, people are drawn to different aspects and expressions of Tolkien fandom. Welcome to all of you. Civility, respect, and good humor go a long way for all endeavors in life. We applaud all who exhibit these qualities while visiting TORn.

Posted in Characters, Events, Fans, Fellowship of the Ring, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Movie, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, LotR Movies, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Other Events, Other Tolkien books, Return of the King, Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, The Two Towers, Uncategorized on April 6, 2014 by newsfrombree

Congratulations to our 2014 Middle-earth March Madness champion: Thranduil!

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The remote server returned an unexpected response: (417) Expectation failed.
April 12, 2014 at 12:32 am by Demosthenes  - 

The results are in! After three weeks of intense competition we can finally crown a winner! In the end, Thranduil — the Sindarin king of the Woodland Realm — has taken the crown in our 2014 Middle-earth March Madness contest!

We received more than 20,000 votes in the final, and Thranduil (Thrandy to his nearest and dearest?) soundly defeated his worthy opponent Legolas (aka Leggy) with 64.18% of those votes! I guess it is good to be king!

We’d like to thank you all for participating in this year’s event and hope you had a fun time discussing the finer points of your favourite Middle-earth characters and objects, regardless of whether you viewed the contests as a physical battle, a game of wits, or a popularity contest (all valid ways to vote!). It’s also a neat way to explore what makes these characters such interesting and vital parts of Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

We’re already looking forward to next year’s competition — and introducing a few of the changes that readers have suggested in comments/facebook posts. For a review of each round, click on the following links: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Elite Eight, Final Four, and the Championship.

EDIT: Please feel free to leave comments and suggestions for next year below — we’re open to your ideas (and as mentioned we already have a few of our own!). Fan bashing, however, will not be tolerated by the mods.

Posted in Events, Fans, Fellowship of the Ring, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Movie, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, LotR Movies, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Return of the King, Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, The Two Towers on April 12, 2014 by Demosthenes

Vote in the Middle-earth March Madness Final Four! Some like it ‘Hot!’

April 2, 2014 at 11:38 am by newsfrombree  - 
The Final Four are set! And in a stunning turn of events, Middle-earth has gone ‘Hot
!’ In an unexpected twist of fate, the final four combatants are arguably the most swoon-worthy group of Middle-earth combatants ever.
First up, we have Thranduil facing off against Aragorn. Some staff are already dubbing this match-up as ‘Team Sparkle’ (Thranduil) vs. ‘Team Stubble’ (Aragorn).
And with Legolas dispatching Gandalf in the Elite Eight, we now have a Hobbit (film) showdown of epic proportions – Legolas vs. Thorin Oakenshield.
Will this be the first year we have an all Elven final? Can Aragorn finally put Team Sparkle out of the competition? Will the Richard Armitage Army dispatch Legolas? All is up in the air as the final four voting has begun!
Voting will last until 10pm ET on April 5th in this round. So let the Middle-earth March Madness continue! Happy Voting!

Download the Brackets! [Final Four] [Round 4] [Round 3] [Round 2] [Round 1]
Posted in Characters, Events, Fans, Fellowship of the Ring, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Movie, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, LotR Movies, Movie Fellowship of the Ring, Movie Return of the King, Movie The Two Towers, Other Events, Other Tolkien books, Return of the King, Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, The Two Towers, Uncategorized on April 2, 2014 by newsfrombree

What is your title in Middle-earth?

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The remote server returned an unexpected response: (417) Expectation failed.
April 4, 2014 at 6:52 am by Demosthenes  - 

You might be a Riddlemaker, a Key Holder or a Firestarter. Or perhaps something else. Take Warner Bros. fun little quiz, and discover what your Middle-earth title might be. Just click the image below.

Posted in Hobbit Movie, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on April 4, 2014 by Demosthenes
Source: The Hobbit

Pre-order Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

The remote server returned an unexpected response: (417) Expectation failed.
The remote server returned an unexpected response: (417) Expectation failed.
April 3, 2014 at 1:29 am by Kelvarhin  - 

Witness the return of Sauron’s army to Mordor, the attack on the Black Gate and the origins behind Talion’s quest for vengeance in the Official Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer – Banished from Death.

Also today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Productions confirmed the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor ship date for October 7, 2014, and revealed the game’s official box art and pre-order bonus pack.

Pre-order bonus details:

Fans who pre-order Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will get access at the game’s launch to The Dark Ranger exclusive bonus pack. Available at all participating retailers, the pack will provide exclusive content and challenges for players including:

Dark Ranger Character Skin Begin your own quest for vengeance with a new Dark Ranger character skin that embodies Talion’s darker side“Test of Power” Challenge Mode Face Sauron’s Captains and defeat them to earn powerful Runes and gain a head start in the gameAccess to Exclusive Leaderboards for “Test of Power” Challenge Mode Test your speed, skill and strategy and measure yourself against your friends on the leaderboards in this challenge mode

The Palantir app, which is available on the Apple Story here, will sync with game assets and the final game, to reveal additional layers of information, insights and fan-authored content, creating a unique second-screen experience. Enable Palantir’s sync mode while the Official Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer – Banished from Death plays to try it out.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will be available on October 7, 2014 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.

            

Posted in Gaming, Headlines, Merchandise, Video games on April 3, 2014 by Kelvarhin

A new, interactive historical map of Middle-earth from LOTRProject

April 2, 2014 at 4:17 am by Demosthenes  -
Over at LOTRProject, Emil Johannson has developed a high-resolution interactive map of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth complete with key dates, events and character movements.
It’s pretty neat, and a very effective visual representation of where some of the key events of Middle-earth’s history occurred.

I’ve spent many hours developing this high res. interactive map of Middle-earth. I hope you will find it useful. Please share it if you like it.?

[Visit the LOTRProject interactive map]
Posted in Creations, Fans, Fellowship of the Ring, Green Books, Hobbit Book, Lord of the Rings, LotR Books, Return of the King, Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Two Towers on April 2, 2014 by Demosthenes
Source: LOTRProject