The Ring attracts no attention

[Morsul the Dark]

Question why can the ring only be sensed when someone is wearing it? maybe im terrible at searhing the downs but i cant find the answer

what i mean especially before the windy stair bit when frodo and sam are hiding from the witchking why doesnt he just go *sniff* hey the rings over there?

[Eonwe]

I'm pretty sure that the ringwraithers are attracted to the ring. Gandalf, or maybe the elf they meet before Rivendell, tells Frodo that they can sense the Ring and will therefore pursue him until they find it.

If I'm not mistaken, the Witchking has pressing business to attent, and Galadrial's phial has something to do with repulsing him or something or other.

[Morsul the Dark]

hmm i dont know about the phial but it seems to me when they jumpo off the road and the ringwraith is really like 5 feet(@2meters) away hed be like hey hobbits thanks for the ring doesnt it seem strange that hes so close(without phial or pressing business keeping him away) that he just goes on

[JennyHallu]

But it's not the first time that a ringwraith approached within a few feet of the ring, and was cast off by the power of the Elves. In the shire, the arrival of Gildor and his company force the Ringwraith to flee, also. Granted, that is just an ordinary ringwraith (assuming there is such a thing), and not the Witch-King himself, but Galadriel's Phial is the light of the Silmaril, and therefore it is itself more powerful than Gildor's presence. I think that Sauron's minions feared the Elves very much...

We are already told (at least by implication) that Galadriel and even Aragorn (a mortal man) had been able to contend with the Eye and come out victors, surely the Witch-King, necessarily weaker than his master, especially on the physical plane, would not prevail against such enemies?

[Morsul the Dark]

you know what...I completely forgot about the elves in the shire Jenny you're right that does make sense.... however it brings up an interesting question is fear stronger than the desire for power?

remember frodo wants to put on the ring to hide not to gain its power

[JennyHallu]

But the last time Frodo put the Ring on, at the Cracks of Doom, it was desire for power that motivated him. And each time the Ring sensed servants of its Master nearby, it urged him to wear it, and only his strong sense of self and selflessness enabled him to resist it as well as he did. I think just his proximity to the Ring worked on his mind, little by little, but every time he wore it its ability to wear him down increased.

I don't think Frodo's reasoning for wearing the Ring would be enough to base a comparison of fear and desire for power.

[Morsul the Dark]

good points... yes i will agree in the cracks of doom it was desire for power...however like you said it was only after it wore him down.