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Animated Skeleton
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Re: Imladris
Lindil:
Re Imladris' defensibilty:
You may wish to look at the drawings again.<img src=smile.gif ALT="
"> The illustrations numbers 104, 105, 106, 107 and 108 all show steep (even sheer) walled cliffs forming the valley the that was named Imladris (and indeed the translation 'deep dale cleft' attests to this as well). This of course leaves only a (relatively) narrow and defensible access. You might also note the description given in 'Flight to the Ford': "The Road was still running stedily downhill... in late afternoon they came to a place where the Road went suddenly under the dark shadow of tall pine-trees, and then plunged into a deep cutting with steep moist walls of red stone... at the bottom of a sharp incline they saw before them a long flat mile, and beyond that the Ford of Rivendell. On the further side was a steep brown bank, threaded by a winding path; and behind that the tall mountains climbed, shoulder above shoulder, and peak beyond peak into the fading sky."
The sheer walled cliffs would be exceedingly difficult for an army to traverse especially in the face of determined opposition. Any organized body would be forced to approach by the Road through a (relatively) narrow pass. As for starting a fire, it is a large enough area that it might be difficult to direct it, and it would be very unpredictable. No garrantee that it would not come back and burn you.
The suggestion about Sauron's force being there to contain and not defeat does make sence, I was _not_ disputing that (I was just commenting on Imladris' defensibilty). In fact JRRT at the least strongly implies just that in UT: "But now Sauron attempted to gain mastery of Eriador: Lorinand could wait. But as he ravaged the lands, slaying or drawing off all the small groups of Men and hunting the remaining Elves, many fled to swell Elrond's host to the northward. Now Sauron's immediate purpose was to take Lindon... and he called in therefore his scattered forces and marched west... But his force was weakened by the necessity of leaving a strong detachment to contain Elrond and prevent him from coming down upon his rear."
Re using Vilya to control the river: I will accept your statement of it being merely an assumption. I though disagree. It is possible that Vilya may have helped (after all possession of the Rings did increase the native power of the weilder) but the power of the Three lay in preserving, making and understanding, not in controlling rivers or casting fireballs or calling down storms. If Vilya did anything in this event it was just to increase Elrond's 'natural' ability to control the river.
Re 'his might is in wisdom...': I think Boromir said this in the 'Council of Elrond'. However there are other statements as well 'venerable as a king, hale as a warrior, mighty among both Elves and Men'.
Re Maia blood: The 1/16th Maia is correct and this was still much more than Galadriel (in essence Elrond was a close and direct descendant of the 'gods'). I do not think that JRRT says that the Edain blood 'weakened' the Peredhil.
I must cut this short, have to go pickup my truck from the mechanic. post more in a little bit.
Tar-Elenion The High Elves had been in the hands of the gods praising and adoring Eru 'the One', Iluvatar the Father of All on the Mountain of Aman</p>