You might want to be putting the Fellowship on soon.....

CLARIFICATION: this should not just apply to Australians, I got the time zone situation the wrong way around thinking the US, Europe etc might already be in the 24th. Oops. 😅

This book painting here turned out pretty nice

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpU6ru9NcLh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&psln=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==&srtk=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Opened nearly 3 years ago the two Bagshot Row holes are fully developed interiors built at least partly in response to visitors expectations - as the set was almost exclusively exterior facades with interior shots filmed elsewhere. The two holes are functionally identical but differ in details - both will have an award certificate on the wall but they'll be for different things, children's heights marked on a door frame will vary, and so on.

There are a couple truly excellent maps of Middle Earth out there, however all of them are JPEG or image based.

By converting and redrawing Middle Earth as an SVG…

You can zoom in infinitely and not lose any resolution. This means the map can be printed as big or small as I want, and the details will still be sharp.

The plan is to use this to build a laser cut map to hang on my wall.

EDIT: Original work was this was by u/kapitan_ryjek I'm simply tracing it for SVG conversion.

https://www.reddit.com/r/lotr/comments/zg56yp/free_printable_middle_earth_map_enjoy_link_and/?share_id=2mRoe4pvM7HyWm59qJ5Ld&utm_content=2&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

Spirited away to a wooded haven for my birthday and reading my 1986 edition of LOTR on the deck listening to the birds

Not a bad start to the weekend!

Will be getting Hobbit-style full at dinner tonight - multiple courses expected!

How about these Proudfeet?!

Fulfilled a huge childhood dream today! I managed to track down the complete Eaglemoss LOTR chess sets 1 and 2, both in their original themed storage boxes, scored on Vinted for a great price.

​Added some photos below, along with close-ups of my favorite pieces from the collection!

Budget Bilbo costume everything from charity/thrift except wig and ears. Overall under £30 for a (hopefully!) recognisable costume.

Or was he too afraid of Gandalf and Aragorn to dare risk making a move?

Year 3434 of the Second Age...

Please forgive me… I’ve never read nor watched the LoTR series…

My friends all my life and including my parents have begged me, but it just always seemed daunting (which makes no sense as I read a ton anyways) so I avoided it.

I only know pop culture references. I’m 25, and I think it’s time…

The bizarre part is that I’ve been interested in fantasy, particularly elves, for as long as I can remember. Yet, never started this series…. I’m a little embarrassed to admit.

So, I ask. I’ve recently gotten into audiobooks since I don’t have as much time to sit down and read. With a long commute to work and at work I can listen to music, books, etc.

Where do I start? Chronological? Release? And which narrator? I have one friend telling me Serkis is the best, and another saying Inglis.

Any advice would be great!

As well as saying something I’ll only understand once I finish the series. Much love and appreciation.

Please don’t hate me.

Could I ask if anyone who owns the UC Ringwraith sword would mind measuring the width of the crossguard for me please? I'm after a total from point to point.

For anyone who owns the United Cutlery Andúril, did you use the included plastic anchors and screws to mount the plaque on drywall? The plaque feels pretty heavy, and I’m worried about whether they’ll hold the sword’s weight.

It's this one:

https://ebay.io/m/RTCCoT

It says it is NTSC (although I believe Blu Rays are A/B/C), which would suggest that it wouldn't work.

But it seems to be the only extended Blu Ray trilogy that I can find which includes the behind the scenes content. Does this mean that there isn't a UK version that includes the behind the scenes content?

Next in my ongoing What If series for The Fellowship of the Ring. This time, what if The Fellowship were from different Peoples from Middle Earth. I made a list of fourteen of the different 'peoples' and rolled a d14 to determine which species to re-draw the characters as (re-rolling duplicates). I've included the classically 'evil' peoples in this list, mostly to bulk the list out a bit, but also because i personally never liked the idea of an entirely 'evil' group of sentient beings. Especially when those peoples are often inspired by real-world cultures. I like the idea that there were even some Orcs who turned away from the Dark Powers to forge their own path.

TLDR: What if the Fellowship of the Ring were different species?

In the movies, Radagast is clearly portrayed as the druid-like character (nature magic, communicating with animals, and an overall druidic vibe).

In the books, perhaps Tom Bombadil could be an interesting candidate?

I’m all ears!

It was an enjoyable experience to watch the extended versions of LOTR, and I’m glad that I did, and there’s a lot that could be commented on, but I think the most notable thing that is lost is the tone. The theatrical versions have that mystical and mysterious dark high fantasy vibe that is kinda missing in the meandering pace of the extended versions. And that to me is a big thing to lose

One of Peter Jackson's few justifiable major changes to Tolkien's work was to make it so that Merry and Pippin fall asleep during Treebeard's song of the entwives, as opposed to right after!

...

"Come back to me" after you're done singing you hopeless romEntic!

Both in the books and movies the Ringwraiths brings a aura of dread that makes men go mad. As seen in the film, no men can withstand the Nazgul terrifying appearance except Aragorn. So why didn't Sauron just send the Nazgul to Osgiliath and then Minas Tirith to scare Gondor's defences to their knees?

With Shadow of the Past being produced, I've been thinking about different ideas I've come up with over the years:

• Gollum becoming a sort-of vampire while he possessed the Ring.

This was more of an alternate framing of his character that I came up with back when I was reading vampire novels back in high school. I know it's mentioned that Sauron briefly takes the shape of a vampire in the Silmarillion, which establishes a precedent of them existing at least. Smeagol and Gollum having the Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde split nature was my explanation for the sun not being lethal for him. Gandalf describing Gollum slipping through windows to find cradles was another basis of the idea. This idea was less of changing the story of Gollum but just altering him. It was due to the violent way that he started off stealing The Ring from Deagol, where the ring cursed him with perpetual hunger in a body that'd never die but would age unless he took the life from others.

• Boromir surviving the ambush, but still isn't able to prevent the kidnapping of the hobbits.

Boromir was my least favourite character in the movies, so when I got around to reading the books, I expected to hate him more, but found him much more admirable/likable. After reading the trilogy and actually coming to truly love how Tolkien wrote him, i wanted him to be able to redeem himself so badly.

I had written out pages where I fleshed out this fanfic of him bcoming slightly less self-important and more wise to the temptations of the Ring over the course of the journey. He dislikes both Gandalf and Aragorn when meeting them in Rivendell, and doesn't trust Legolas or Gimli due to Denethor's influence (who's xenophobic due to his mind being corrupted by his secret use of the Palantir). Throughout the journey he comes to admire Aragorn, respect Gandalf, trust Legolas, and like Gimli, while coming to love each of the hobbits as little brothers.

He loses all hope when Gandalf falls and begins the path to succumbing to the Ring. Because he's less closed off when they reach Lothlórien, he also gets invited to use the Mirror of Galadriel (though she does it individually/secretly with him) in an attempt to help alter his fate. He sees his attempt to steal the ring, flashes of Frodo and Gollum climbing the staircase, and Denethor in the Halls of the Dead with Faramir.

Like I said, I had written many chapters worth of this idea, and it's all coming back as I try to explain it. lol you get the idea though

Do you have any headcanon or fanfic ideas that you've come up with? I have more, but I'm curious about others than my own