Who Am I?

[elven maiden Earwen]

Is it Bilbo?

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

Surely Bilbo is a main character in some sense of the word or other.

My latest guess is Halbarad.
Flee from the foreshortened warrior -- the banner, that struck fear ino the hearts of the host of Sauron on the Pellenor
Dim companion -- the banner he hid and did not unfurl
Misleading in name -- Aragorn and Theoden's company expecting enemies, but surprised at 'Halbarad of the Dunedain'
Unnerring in path -- obviously, on the Paths of the Dead he was stouthearted.

[Nuranar]

Gwaihir, your persistence surprises even me! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Seriously, you are an excellent guesser, except you haven't hit the right one yet. I knew this one was too vague!

Your interpretation of the first two lines is on the right track, as far as not assuming they mean the actual person.

But by CRYPTIC I mean another NAME is hidden in those two lines. You need to put together some words that come from those two lines. And by the way, "foreshortened" (at least for the purposes of this question) means effectively "cut off at the front end."

Savvy?

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

*grumble* I had a lot of hope for that guess, it was a good one.

Hmm... cryptic... I don't do crosswords, so I was evidently under a false impression that 'cryptic' meant that you were saying something in a riddle-like fashion. So its words you want me to figure with.... God this is a tough one.

I'm not going to hazard another guess today (although I'll try again tomorrow), but if I could have a couple of small clues: is the word 'flee' of any significance, for a start? Secondly, is there any connection here at all with the Battle of the Pellenor?

You don't have to answer both if you choose not to, of course.

[Nuranar]

I'm sorry about that guess, too - I agree, it was a good one.

As for your questions, (1) "flee" is not part of the crypticness, but the person does it from the name that is hidden; and (2) it has nothing to do with Pellenor Fields.

BONUS CLUE: This person is found in (and only in, I believe) the Silmarilion.

Here it is again, in case you haven't memorized it:

Flee from the foreshortened warrior
And his dim companion!
Misleading in name,
But unerring in path.

[The Saucepan Man]

Flee from the foreshortened warrior
And his dim companion!

All I can think of is Nightshade - "night" being a foreshortened "knight" and "shade" being something tht is dim.

But I can't think of any Nightshades in the Silmarillion, let alone anyone who fled from them. Is there perhaps an Elvish name meaning "Nightshade"? [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img]

[Nuranar]

Since my brother has lately loaned his copy of the Silmarillion (the only one in the household) to a friend at work, I cannot now look up the precise phrasing.

But "Nightshade" is certainly correct! WHOOP!

I can only say, Read very carefully. And don't try translating anything. My riddle may be vague, but it's not going to pull a stunt like that on you. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Bon chance!

[piosenniel]

Does 'nightshade' refer to Taur-nu-Fuin (Forest under Nightshade) in Dorthonion?

Is this Beleg, by any chance?

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

Yes, Taur-nu-Fuin is it I think. Well done Saucepans. Now for the character themselves.

Beren and Beleg both present themselves in the path unneringness department, but they are both major characters and at any rate are not 'misleading'. I'm going to guess at Emeldir, the Manhearted, wife of Barahir. She is only mentioned in the Sil, and she fled from Dorthonion (one of your clues, if you'll remember). She was not a major character, she did not err in her path to Brethil. How she was misleading I do not know. Damn that... perhaps as she was called Man-hearted, but in fact, her heart was female-sized and contained X chromosomatic genes as in reality as she was female?? Or that she led females? She was certainly brave and stouthearted, so it couldn't be that...

[Nuranar]

Aha, Gwaihir, but Emeldir it is indeed! Correct on all counts...

I admit that the "misleading in name" line wasn't the best...I don't do well under pressure, and I composed that one in an Internet cafe with my time quickly running out.

And thank you for guessing! Now, let's see what you can do...

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Pha! (My new not-quite obscenity of the day.)

I was just getting ready to guess Maedhros when I kept reading... you know, the clues do add up for him a little too:

foreshortened: missing hand

misleading in name: considered the leader of the brothers

unerring in path: he did recover a silmaril... sort of...

But I guess not. Bring on the new riddle for me to dwell on and get moody because of!

Fea

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

How immensely satisfying. I must admit, I do feel I rather deserved that one [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img].

EDIT: Of course, I couldn't have managed it without the assistance of Saucepan. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Ok, for the next.

I travelled long, and never far
From reminders of my great despair.
I could not leave them, deeply scarred
Works I devised, and left them there.

Actually, this one probably isn't too bad. See how you go.

[ July 16, 2003: Message edited by: Gwaihir the Windlord ]

[Meneltarmacil]

OK, I'm terrible at this... but here goes!

Eru/Iluvatar?

He created the world, but Morgoth caused it to be "scarred" and he left it that way?

[ July 17, 2003: Message edited by: Meneltarmacil ]

[Gil-Galad]

could it be Aule with the dwarves becaseu he buried them under neath moutnains and left them there?

[Gil-Galad]

could it be Aule with the dwarves becaseu he buried them under neath moutnains and left them there? and they were his childeren but Illuvatar wanted the elves too be the first born

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

The answer is neither Illuvitar nor Aule. Nice try.

[Gil-Galad]

Eol the dark elf for some reason i think it is him, or MAeglin

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

Gil-galad, you need to state your reasons along with your guesses.

[Gil-Galad]

well Eol created many items with the skills of the dwarves but when Maeglin and his wife left and he left them there and was despaired. he did a long journey but was never far from his kindred the elves?

[Lyta_Underhill]

Hi, all! This is my first post in this forum, so go easy on me!

Is it Morgoth? He was always in despair because of his jealousy of the Elves and Iluvator's powers of creation, etc. so he created deeply scarred works, i.e. orcs, and other fell creatures, and he left them in the deep and wild places of ME when he was taken.

Cheers,
Lyta

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

I'm thinking Feanor, because:

I travelled long, and never far
From reminders of my great despair.- Feanor travelled from Middle-Earth to Valinor, but the Doom of the Noldor and the Fate of the Silmarils followed him everywhere.

I could not leave them, deeply scarred
Works I devised, and left them there.-Feanor could not leave his Silmarils in the hands of Morgoth, and he was deeply scarred by the death of his father and his Oath. He devised many cunning things, but left them all in Valinor in order to pursue his masterwork: The Silmarils.

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

Aaahh... I almost gave this one to you, Luthien, simply because your answer fits so well with the riddle... but no -- that's not what I'm looking for, sorry. Eol is not the answer either, nice try Gil-Galad. At this rate though, I'm sure someone will guess correctly before long. The answer is fairly straightforward.

[Osse]

I travelled long, and never far
From reminders of my great despair.
I could not leave them, deeply scarred
Works I devised, and left them there.

Is it Yavanna? Her greatest works were Telperion and Laurelin. Ungoliant poisoned them, but she left their dead masses upon the mound in reverence. She could never escape the memory of her greatest works destroyed no matter how far she travelled or how long she wept.

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

Afraid not. 'Travelling' is used in the straighforward sense. It's a fairly straightforward riddle actually (not especially cryptic).

[Osse]

Clues gwaihir clues!

[Lyta_Underhill]

Point of clarification: is it
I could not leave them,
Deeply scarred works I devised,
And left them there.

or
I could not leave them, deeply scarred;
Works I devised, and left them there

difference in grouping makes me think of different things.
Thanks!
Lyta

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

Clarifications and clues, right. Haven't dropped by here for a couple of days, my apologies (I posted in the Books on Friday, but you know how it is, I didn't have time for in here as well...)

'deeply scarred' refers to the subject of the riddle, Lyta. 'I could not leave them' refers to the 'reminders of my great despair', to take the clarifiaction a step further.

Hmmm, a clue now... ok since I thought this riddle would be easy and it obviously isn't (perhaps I should look at my questions from the answerer's point of view, I seem to make a habit of thinking this [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]), I will give you a fairly-helpful clue that still doesn't give it away: the 'great despair' that the subject is reminded of is something that was lost to the subject. I may as well also tell you that he was male. (This should be a significant assistance. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img])

I travelled long, and never far
From reminders of my great despair.
I could not leave them, deeply scarred
Works I devised, and left them there.

[Osse]

This would probably give it away, but can you tell us if it's someone from the Silmarillion?

[Osse]

Is it Beren? He lost his hand...that would make him deeply scarred, you can't walk away from not having a hand, and no matter where you go you are always reminded of it.

Just a rough guess but it fits and i am trying not to "think too cryptically."
( i know my reasoning isn't very comprehensive, but i am half asleep!)
Osse

[ July 27, 2003: Message edited by: Osse ]

[Osse]

NO it's not beren... is it Maedhros?

He also lost a hand... so he's deeply scarred, his great despair was that he
almost recovered a Silmaril... he left most of the works he devised... it all fits, is it Maedhros?

Osse

[ July 27, 2003: Message edited by: Osse ]

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I travelled long, and never far
From reminders of my great despair.
I could not leave them, deeply scarred
Works I devised, and left them there.

Oookay... This one is on the edge of my mind, just out of my reach. So I'm going to try to break it down, just so you wonderful people can tell me if I'm going about it the right way.

If we follow the punctuation, it reads like this:

I traveled long
And never far from reminders of my great despair
I could not leave them
Deeply scarred works I devised
And left them there.

I traveled long

Our (and we've been told male) subject is a traveler.

And never far from reminders of my great despair
I could not leave them

So he was incapable of leaving behind the things (or people, or whatever, but we know it's plural) that reminded him of his 'great despair'.

Deeply scarred works I devised

So we know that whatever his creations are, they were somehow screwed up.

And left them there

This part I don't get. Is it that he left them there (as in he went somewhere else without them), or did he leave them there (as in he died and left them)? Sheesh. Now I've just confused myself. Tell me if my thoughts are working the right way!

Fea

[ July 28, 2003: Message edited by: Feanor of the Peredhil ]

[Gil-Galad]

well i doubt i am right but Ungoliant? she left many spiders behind and she died in the dessert because she kept travlling for food, and her spiders were dimishing and not liek normal spiders

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I traveled long, and never far
From reminders of my great dispair
I could not leave them, deeply scarred
Works I devised, and left them there.

Is it perchance Gandalf?

I traveled long

rather self explanitory

never far
From reminders of my great dispair

His great dispair being Sauron and reminders being everywhere, not in the least the Elven ring that he carried.

I could not leave them

He was obligated to stay and help the free peoples of Middle Earth.

deeply scarred

Duh.

Works I devised

Once again, self explanitory.

and left them there

When he finished his 'job', Gandalf left M.E.

Fea

[Orofaniel]

It must be Gandalf, finally something I (think) I know and I'm to late!!!!!! [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

It gives me immense satisfaction to say that all these answers are incorrect. :P Actually, you seem to have mentioned everyone that it isn't; I can't give it to anyone though, as I didn't in the first place.

Yes, Osse, it's from the Silmarillion.

Hmmm, people don't seem to be interpreting the thing properly... try and sort of chant the song, perhaps. What I mean by 'deeply scarred' is that the subject of the riddle is scarred, not the 'works' that he left behind.

As to the Gandalf guesses -- the 'great despair' doesn't fit this. The 'despair' of the subject of this riddle was a particularly damaging thing to him personally, although it was also to everyone.

Ok, keep on at it, I'm sure we're close. Sorry if it's rather a nasty one. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I travelled long, and never far
From reminders of my great despair.
I could not leave them, deeply scarred
Works I devised, and left them there.

[Osse]

Nah i like em this way!
You can really sink your teeth into em, it just goes to prove that no-one thinks exactly alike!

[ July 29, 2003: Message edited by: Osse ]

[Orofaniel]

It wans't Gandalf??? I'm shocked!!

[img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]
*reads trough the Silm, cannot come up with the person*

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Yeesh. I guess that counts me out of the running for this riddle, since I haven't finished the Silm (I keep having to return it before I can finish. I just finished reading Of Maeglin and I had to return it again!) I really thought I had it too... I even created another riddle. I guess it must wait... *sigh*. Cheers

Fea

[Keeper of Dol Guldur]

Is it Ulmo? He traveled far, but water always was in some way connected to the work of the enemy. He also helped by giving certain heros quests to perform, and was a big fan of elf/human sympathizing.

[Gwaihir the Windlord]

[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Nope, not Ulmo either. (In fact, water was of all things the least touched by Melkor, if I recall it correctly.)

Even if it wasn't, and water had been rather influenced by Melkor's power, still it would not have been Ulmo's 'despair'. Neither was Sauron in any way Gandalf's despair. The 'despair' of the man we are after actually caused him to despair, as it broke him.