You are correct, Andsigil!

Sorry, I forgot about that one. It's Gandalf, Sauron and Saruman you're supposed to avoid.

Radagast>Mouth of Sauron

Then here's another solution without any of them:
Radagast--Eagles--Bilbo--Frodo--Pippin--Mouth of Sauron

Either way, it's Andsigil's turn now.

Mouth of Sauron --> Nimrodel

Mouth of Sauron--Legolas--Galadriel (quite possible to use another Elf here)--Nimrodel

Galadriel could be excluded if Legolas' song about Nimrodel counts as a connection, which I doubt.

Your turn. :)

This is an easy one, but I can't think of anything better for the moment.
Mauhur--->Deagol

Mauhur -> Grishnakh -> Pippin -> Sam -> Smeagol -> Deagol

Yup!

Balan -> Lotho

Yay for revival!
 

Balan (Beor) -- Finrod -- Galadriel -- Frodo -- Lotho

Only took me five years...
 

That's it! The thread is yours!

Oh man... That "Yup" post of mine - I was only two months dead when I made it! That's scary! 2010 can't be that long ago! :eek:


Earwen -- Aratan

Earwen - Galadriel - Elrond - Isildur - Aratan?

Maybe it could go directly from Elrond to Aratan and skip Isildur. At some point I suppose Elrond could have met Isildur's son, but I don't know if there's any actual proof of such a meeting.

The thread is yours!

I suppose they've met, but since we're not sure about direct interaction I went with either Isildur or else Valandil as the link.

Ingwë to Uglúk

<bump>

Here goes... (First attempt at this game)
 

Ingwë - Manwë - Aulë - Saruman - Uglúk

Correct! Your turn.

Fun times were had by everybody
 

Fingolfin to Tar-Miriel

Well, let me take a bite, as I know the possible link

Fingolfin - Morgoth - Sauron - Ar-Pharazon - Tar-Miriel

Dat gud enuf, siree?

Ahem.

But then it becomes more than six degrees.

What about Fingolfin - Fingon - Gil-galad - Elendil - Amandil - Tar-Miriel?

I thought about it, but it is never implied that Gil-Galad and Elendil met.

Pretty strongly implied, I should say.

Good enuf for me.

'Try' being the key word here.

Well then, how about I steal one of your links?

Fingolfin - Elwing

This one is surprisingly difficult for two elves in the First Age...

How about: Fingolfin -> Turgon -> Tuor -> Earendil -> Elwing ?

*bump*
 

Seems legit to me Andsigil, if Urwen does not reply, I think you can just take the thread.

Correct.

Since Urwen bumped this up a couple of weeks ago, how about I give a puzzle?

Narvi -> Maeglin (just for you, Urwen!).

I can do this in 6 (assuming that means '6 names total', including both ends) several ways, and 5 by at least two slightly cheeky routes... oh, and 3 by a very cheeky route. No Sauron, Gandalf, or Saruman required.

(If you include a non-obvious link, it'd be nice to get an explanation for it - that's how we learn random trivia, after all!)

hS

Narvi>Celebrimbor>Curufin>Celegorm>Aredhel>Maeglin

Hah, didn't even think of the fact that Cel'n'Cur met Aredhel & Eol. Nice.

Care to try for a shorter route, or do you just want to post your own?

hS

I'll try for the shorter route


Narvi>Celebrimbor>Turgon>Aredhel>Maeglin


OR


Narvi>Celebrimbor>Turgon>Idril>Maeglin

What's your link from Celebrimbor to Turgon, other than them being... some sort of cousins?

hS

According to one version of legendarium, Celebrimbor lived in Gondolin for a time, where he made the early prototype of the stone known as Elessar for Turgon.

Ah, right. That would be my super cheeky version, which in fact doesn't need to go through Aredhel, Idril, or even Turgon: the laws of Gondolin say that no-one leaves, which means Celebrimbor would have met Maeglin directly.

The route I first thought of was Narvi-Celebrimbor-Finrod-Ulmo-Tuor-Maeglin, which is definitely beaten by either of yours (you can actually skip Celegorm on your first one - Curufin talks directly to Eol). So I think I'll pass it over to you at this point.

(I also had one which took advantage of the theory that all the Durins are the same person to go Narvi->Durin III/IV->The Balrog->Morgoth->Maeglin... ^_^)

Over to you, Urwen!

hS

I am feeling generous now, so


Lalaith -> Maeglin


*No Barrow-Downs users usage allowed*

Well, Lalaith > Turin > Tuor > Maeglin springs to mind, by way of the cousins passing on the road.

Hurin was around for Lalaith's childhood, right? And he visited Gondolin and would have met Maeglin. So can I just have Lalaith > Hurin > Maeglin?

hS