To the Sea! To the Sea! With the release of The Grey Havens, we are taking to our ships and setting sail to chase dreams on the high seas. But wait! What does the ocean have to do with the lands of Middle-earth? After all, the Fellowship of the Ring was composed of the […]
My pleasant surprise at realizing that Brok Ironfist actually has a name rich in Tolkienian lore has now been matched by disappointment that our latest unique FFG-created Dwarf ally, Azain Silverbeard, appears to have no grounding in the Professor’s work. The prefix ‘Az-‘ may mean ‘war axe’ (related to our English word ‘adze’) which is […]
It’s no easy job, managing a kingdom, let alone one on the brink of collapse. Invaders to the east, a lackluster neighbor to the west, pirates to the south, orcs all around, and oh yeah, the devil himself knocking at your doorstep. Let’s not forget that your oldest son is dead (the one you liked) leaving you […]
Here’s a nifty gadget, but is there such a thing in Middle-earth? In our world, a magnetic compass was invented by the Chinese, though it took another 1000 years before they used it for navigation on the sea. The first mention of a compass in Western Europe dates to the late 12th or early 13th […]
Fellow lore masters of Middle-earth, lend me your ear! Our finest hour as players of the Lord of the Rings living card game is nigh at hand. With their recent focus on the Noldor trait, the glorious game designers of Fantasy Flight have given full flight to our fantasies with the creation of new Lore heroes […]
She might look innocent enough but be careful what you make with this one. The first chapter of the Quenta Silmarillion titled “Of the Beginning of Days” sets the stage for the sordid saga of these Noldorin Elves. Though they are the “most skilled of the Elves”, “renowned in song” with a name meaning “wisdom”, […]
Shhh! The language of the Dwarves is “a secret which unlike the Elves, they [do] not willingly unlock, even to their friends”. Aside from the names of a few places (which Gimli let slip to his Companions) and the famous Dwarven battle-cry “Khazâd! Khazâd!” (which has been heard by many, though sometimes last), the Dwarven […]
We’ve recently marked our third anniversary here at Master of Lore! My first post titled “Greetings and Goals” was published on February 11, 2013. I remember that I had just begun playing this game in earnest during Christmas of 2012 and was catching up to the rest of the community. Heirs of Númenor had been recently released and “The Steward’s Fear” was […]
“Get out, you old Wight! Vanish in the sunlight! Shrivel like the cold mist, like the winds go wailing, Out into the barren lands far beyond the mountains! Come never here again! Leave your barrow empty! Lost and forgotten be, darker than the darkness, Where gates stand for ever shut, till the world is mended.” […]
The Grey Havens is here! And it is rife with some deep lore delvings. The whole premise gets serious with the appendices and showcases the care and interest the developers have for the history of Middle-earth. In short, a Gondorian lord has been having visions of Númenor refound, that the island did not sink completely, […]
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