Let's see what you make of this one:

Damp spot can be found in what? A lantern?

Is it Atalante, which can be found in "what? A lantern", and is a very damp spot being as it is under the water?

Indeed it is. Carry on.

Right you are, sir. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

It summons aid for one in an airborne spectacle

Should be fairly straightforward.

Aerandir?

In the middle of A-IR we have an ER[R]AND, which can be a mission to summon help.
Aerandir was, in turn, one of Earendil's companions on the mission to summon the help of the Valar. They made the journey in Earendil's ship, which was soon to become the airborne spectacle of the morning star.

I have a feeling I am way off; if so, I demand extra points for a creative answer.

You are correct, Sharkû. That's not the answer. Extra points hereby awarded. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Red Arrow

This is a double meaning. The Royal Air Force's aerobatic display team is the Red Arrows, and the Red Arrow of Gondor summons aid.

Spot on. Please continue. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Very well: here's one for you:

Wood-lady's dossier, we hear, is illuminating

Galadriel's phial?

Galadriel is the lady of the Wood and phial sounds like file, a synonym for dossier (dodgy or otherwise [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ).

Three minutes !?

Mom! Squatter and Saucepan aren't letting anyone else play!

[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Well, I was looking for 'Phial of Galadriel' but I'm not about to split hairs. I think that one might have been a bit too easy.

Anyway it's your turn again, Saucepan.

It's not my fault if we're too quick for you, Turambar. If you're too busy with your job to watch this game all day then that's just too bad. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[ August 22, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ]

OK, mice on mouse pads. Ready, steady ...

Behemoth in a state since being surrounded by girl.

.. GO!

*Lowers starter pistol and surveys the scene of intense inactivity*

Anyone?

We did 'Go', honest! It's just taking us a while to get around the track. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] perhaps a hint would speed us up a little?

Weeeell ... OK, if you insist. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

'State' in the clue refers to an abbreviation for a US State ...

That should puzzle the Brits here. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Here you go.

Saucepan is a Brit. Actually that wasn't the part of the clue that was giving me trouble, since it's a common ploy in cryptic crosswords to use the state abbreviations. It's coming up with the right girl's name that's giving me nightmares.

However, there aren't that many behemoths to choose from in Middle-earth, and I can't seem to shake the idea that the state is California and that somehow the rest of the clue must translate to Fastitocalon.

[ August 27, 2003: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ]

Ah, a girls's name! I was trying lass, miss, etc. and getting nowhere.

Mumakil has "Alaska" in the middle, but there's no more a girl named Mumil than there is one named Fastitoon, I suppose.

Alas, Squatter, the answer is not Fastitocalon. Nor is it Mumakil, Turambar.

Squatter is on the right track, but to successfully track down this Behemoth you must take account of the word "since". [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

[ August 27, 2003: Message edited by: The Saucepan Man ]

Ancalagon

Cal is a shortened state
ago can mean 'since'
Ann is the girl, who surrounds the above.

Darn... I was thinking yesterday that Ancalagon was the behemoth in question, but I hesitated to post an answer. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

Oh, well. I get a zero for being a sissy then.

[ August 28, 2003: Message edited by: Kaiserin ]

Let that be a lesson to you, then: the quiz room is no place for hesitation. ;)

That's the beastie, Squatter. Pray continue.

It all makes sense once one separates behemoths from the sea in one's mind. Anyway, on with the quizzing:
Gloomy individual condemns chap regularly to mend around five by a river

Doom of Mandos?

'Fraid not, old boy. You're thinking along the right lines, though.

Hmm, can't escape that initial thought.

Doomsman of the Valar fits better.

'Gloomy individual', self-explanatory. 'Condemns chap' - dooms man. 'V' for five, of course.

Mend around five refers to the surrounding letters, 'he' and 'al', making 'heal'.

Also, 'of the' contains oft, or 'regularly'.

'By a river' contains the ultimate 'ar'.

[ August 29, 2003: Message edited by: Rimbaud ]

Indeed it is. The floor is yours, sir.

Through wine, feline stutters and agrees.

Nobody?

I think a hint may be on order, Rimbaud...

Clue #1 : The first half of the answer is in Latin.

Pervinca Took ?

I see per-vin-cat but not the rest of the clue.

EDIT -- ah I see -- O-Okay.

Yes and yes, T.

Good grief Sir Poet, that was devilishly difficult indeed. [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] My non-appearance with a suggested answer was not through lack of racking my brains, alas to no avail. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

Addled queen was a prong creator

P.s. I hate writing these!

[ September 03, 2003: Message edited by: Turambar ]

Hmm, I think that we may need a hint on this one, Turambar. [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img] [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Sorry -- the answer is a queen, her name is an anagram of two terms (initials T.M.) that are synonyms of the two key words in the clue.

If no one gets it shortly, I'll just give the answer; this truly isn't a very good one.

Now it becomes clear. I was looking for an addled queen, messing about with variations on 'rotten' and barking up all manner of wrong trees.

Anyway, this one is Kementári ('Queen of the Earth') from the letters of Tine and Maker, which could also refer to Yavanna. That was clever rather than bad, telling us that the final answer is an anagram of your anagrams. One might even go so far as to call it 'fiendish'. ;)