Perhaps a clue my fine connoisseur of Sauce?

Well OK, if you insist.

The words "In confusion" indicate that an anagram follows ...

well, Gibbs, a Goblin is most likely better known as Bilbo Baggins. The road's end without a trace is probably from the 'Road goes ever on and on', which is usually sung when the wizard Gandalf isn't too far away.
How am I doing so far?

Well, your solution to the anagram is correct. But you're on the wrong track with the first two lines - they are just a (fairly silly) cryptic clue to the answer. The key is in the final two lines.

Funny, I thought that this one would be got straight away ... [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

I will feel guilty if I get this right, but more likely I'm just giving someone else another hint. My immediate thought was Gollum. Riddles in the Dark. that was for Poetry. But I could find nothing for entomology. Then I flicked to Mirkwood. Something to do with Bilbo's song to the Spiders?

i'm with Arestevana, is it when Bilbo taunted the spiders in mirkwood with song? Gandalf left them (he was "out of place"), the path was lost becuase they wondered off it in mirkwood, and then Bilbo used insulting rhymes he made up about spiders to lure them away. nice job Arestevana!

[ June 04, 2003: Message edited by: Dancing_Hobbit ]

No, nothing to do with spiders, entomology being the study of insects, not arachnids ... [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

Im stumped. Gandalf in Moria?

An old wizard finds himself out of place- Dumbledore, who doesn't belong in a LOTR quiz room [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]
The end of the route is lost without trace- "E" the last letter of Dumbledore (and route) goes missing
In confusion, Gibbs, a Goblin, tries poetry- Mr. Bilbo Baggins, Bag End, the Shire sits and composes a little poem
and finds his inspiration in entomology- makes up a few species of critters does he?

What we find are Dumbledors, the imaginary insects from Bilbo's poem "Errantry".

Please tell me I'm right, I've been puzzling this for ages.

Sophia

[ June 06, 2003: Message edited by: Sophia the Thunder Mistress ]

*bows deeply and bestows lavish compliments on Sophia*
Regardless of whether or not you're right (and I have a sneaking suspicion that you are) I'm in awe of your deductive abilities. Of course, having never noticed Dumbledors in anything I've read of Tolkien, it seems all the more extraordinary to me, but that puzzling and tweaking must have taken a long time to figure out.
Wow [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

and Monsieur Sauce, just how long time has it taken 'toi' to come up with this little riddle?

*Fanfare*

Sophia, you are correct. And for all the right reasons. Well done. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Not as long as it has taken to get the answer. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

May I say in all sincerity, you guys and girls are psycho. I pondered and pondered and pondered and would NEVER have found that answer. Good on ya, but sheesh, that was very tricky!

Waiting for an easy one [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img],
Tar

Ack, I will never feel far too proud of my ability to solve riddles again, as it's far more practical to be able to spell, and I've obviously not mastered that trick [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img].

Will return shortly with new riddle, when I've concocted it. Don't worry, Tar Palantir, I can't make them that hard [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img].

Sophia

'Tis your turn my dear
We require a riddle, I fear
To satisfy this hungry crowd
to us, you have already vowed
So give to us a rhyme now
then if you will, take a bow

[img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

[ June 11, 2003: Message edited by: Beren87 ]

*applauds* Encore! Encore!
We are (for the most part) patiently awaiting a new riddle.

what is this "patience" thing? [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Find the Standard-Bearer
When the first half loses
the last of itself,
And the dark tower is illuminated.
My name is written there.


Sorry for the Delay, thanks for your patience. Happy Riddling.

Sophia

wow. that's hard. if the first half of Standard-Bearer loses the last of itself it becomes Standar, but i can't get any farther than that. of course i may be on entirely the wrong track, which would explain why i can't get any further.

Elrond at the Battle of Dagorlad

Nope, not the one, alquadae.

Sophia

Elendil or string

nope

Sophia

Well, the last of itself might be f. The first half could be 'standard', or it could be the first of a two-part name. Last of itself could also be the last letter of the first half of the name, or it could be 'd' in standard. I'm guessing the last line isn't part of the clue, but I have no idea about the fourth line.

[ June 15, 2003: Message edited by: Arestevana ]

I believe that it might be Halbarad.

Find the Standard-Bearer
Halbarad bore Aragorn's banner to him from Arwen.
When the first half loses
the last of itself,
Half, losing the last letter of itself, gives "Hal".
And the dark tower is illuminated.
Barad-Dur is the Dark Tower. I'm guessing that "Dur" means "dark", so illuminating it, ie taking away the dark, gives "Barad"
My name is written there.
Putting them together produces "Halbarad". [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Stunning. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Perfect reasoning as usual, Saucepan Man. You may proceed.

Sophia

I try my best. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Make a pitch
Then make a dash, my friend
Teach confusion
My follower brought the end

Saruman ?

No, not Saruman.

I haven't yet found the answer, but I want to offer hearty congratulations on your latest crypticism. *Determined* I will solve it. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Sophia

Hint: The first three lines make up a cryptic clue to the answer. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

How about this:


Make a pitch

pitch = TAR

Then make a dash, my friend

dash = ‘ – ‘
friend = PAL

Teach confusion

teach = train
confuse ‘train’ and it = ANTIR

My follower brought the end

Tar – Palantir, whose successor, Ar – Pharazôn, brought about the downfall of Númenor

Perfect reasoning, pio. You are correct on all counts. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

An pm I recieved from the lovely Pio:

So of course, I answered yes... so if y'all can be patient for a few days, I'll be putting up the next riddle as soon as I can craft it. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

Sophia

Thank you so very much for your patience, I know it has been several days, but I think I have brought you the best riddle I can make. *bows*

In the beginning, I knew it!
Now I am all confused
I lost the one thing I know
A Hero of old had used-

I saw an old king falling
Greed was on his tongue
A woman on the verge of lost
Now stricken, on the run
Radiant shines the hope of all
Shadows hover low
Tell me, friend, what have I lost

If, indeed, you know....

Good-Luck!
Sophia

A Palantiri? The whole "I see/saw" thing leads me there.

Or perhaps you're Denothor and it's your sanity.. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[ July 07, 2003: Message edited by: Beren87 ]

Nope, my friend. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

The way the paragraphs are broken up is important.

Perhaps you are Sauron, with his Ring.

Kind of random, but...Hurin and his freedom? [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Do the speakers change from paragraph to paragraph?

A partial guess/disentangling:

I saw an old king falling
Greed was on his tongue

Turgon at the Fall of Ondolindë (Gondolin)

_____________________________________________

A woman on the verge of lost
Now stricken, on the run

Idril, her father lost, is forced to flee.

_____________________________________________


Radiant shines the hope of all

Eärendil - Idril's son

_____________________________________________


Shadows hover low

The swarming of the dark hosts down into the Valley of Tumladen

_____________________________________________


Before I or anyone who wants to pick up on this line of reasoning wants to go any farther - am I anywhere near the mark?

A resounding No to everyone who has thus far guessed.

Good reasoning, Pio, but wrong story. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Sophia