The thing that *wears* the glove is purple? Then what is the thing?

... Thanos. The main villain of the highest-grossing film of all time, and the most publicized films of both of the last two years. It's not really an obscure bit of pop-culture trivia.

Which is only one letter off from Thalos, which is a river. Hence, 'misheard'.

EDIT: For the new page:

DIMBAR - A dull pub between the rivers.
OSSIRIAND - I say: Oh sir! I hand this damp place (to you).
REGION - An area, with trees.
LINDON - A little later, the shortened line of Italian nobles stands on the shore.
A? -- By a slightly longer name, would still smell as sweet, and probably of holly.
THALOS - Big, purple, fancy glove - no, sorry, I misread, it's just a river.
HOBBITON - A cry of greeting over most of a thousand kilos of rabbits, just outside the door.
THOUSAND CAVES - You send, formally and pretty much, Latin cautions underground.
O? -- A division without us? Normally after a short monster where the capital stands.
LHUN - Attila in bad French runs towards a haven.
OLD FOREST - I am aged, I am off to bed, I am just west of here.
RATHLORIEL - In anger and the voice of the laws of Hell, name me a second time after the battle.
I? -- Hell, Mike reversed into a pit and found the leader a step in.
ESTOLAD - He stole ads? You'd never hear it once in the camp.
NELDORETH - A scrambled article, a stick, and a singular lens got turned around in the woods.

hS

It is to me. :D I'm old and live in a barn.

Could I be MORIA with the red letter a step in from the end? Not hopeful, as I think you said second letter, not second letter from either extremity.

Meant nothing to me either but then I am older still, I think and live in the 1950s...

Snort. Well, Tolkien forums always were a refuge from the passage of time... ;)

It isn't (I did consider it), but you're right that 'a step in' indicates that the second letter is I.

hS

Trouble is, the 'hell' words don't work. Udun, Angband, Utumno ... maybe it's PIT of something. Or a curse word? DAM???

Big damns to Mike, BTW. K's not good in Tolkien words. Maybe it's a dwarvish place?

(I am just a few months older than Mith, I remember. But to be fair, I live in the 1970's, albeit with excursions into Victoria's reign and the Dark Ages. The first series of Blackadder was my favourite).

MIRRORMERE? Mirror for the reverse part ... could a mere sort of be a pit?

(I am even less confident than I sound).

There should probably be a 'sounds like' somewhere in that clue, to be honest; it just didn't fit.

Hell, Mike did what?

hS

It's been a bit, so have some hints:

A: the 'Rosie' guess followed pretty much the correct logic. The question states that by a longer name, this place would [be a rose]. 'Holly' indicates what the location would probably smell of, rather than anything about its name.

O: The first part is a cryptic clue. 'Normally after a short monster' indicates that this is actually the second half of a place name, the first half being cryptically clued by 'a short monster'. And the 'capital' bit means... well, exactly what it says: this is where the capital stands.

I: As Pervinca guessed, I is the second letter. There are two words to the answer, and 'Hell, Mike reversed into a pit' is the cryptic clue. The straight clue is that the (a) leader can be found there.

hS

The only long word for a kind of rose I know is Eglantine. Is there a place sufficiently similar?

Oh, just remembered. It starts with A.

By a longer name, this place would be a rose. :D

You're overthinking it.

hS

Aros!

Aros! :D Which is the river on the south edge of Region, which is a forest of holly trees (ouch).

DIMBAR - A dull pub between the rivers.
OSSIRIAND - I say: Oh sir! I hand this damp place (to you).
REGION - An area, with trees.
LINDON - A little later, the shortened line of Italian nobles stands on the shore.
AROS - By a slightly longer name, would still smell as sweet, and probably of holly.
THALOS - Big, purple, fancy glove - no, sorry, I misread, it's just a river.
HOBBITON - A cry of greeting over most of a thousand kilos of rabbits, just outside the door.
THOUSAND CAVES - You send, formally and pretty much, Latin cautions underground.
O? -- A division without us? Normally after a short monster where the capital stands.
LHUN - Attila in bad French runs towards a haven.
OLD FOREST - I am aged, I am off to bed, I am just west of here.
RATHLORIEL - In anger and the voice of the laws of Hell, name me a second time after the battle.
I? -- Hell, Mike reversed into a pit and found the leader a step in.
ESTOLAD - He stole ads? You'd never hear it once in the camp.
NELDORETH - A scrambled article, a stick, and a singular lens got turned around in the woods.

Two to go.

hS

O? -- A division without us? Normally after a short monster where the capital stands.

OST-IN-EDHIL is a capital.

I can't find the elements required in it, though.

Nope. This is a location in Beleriand, and is not a capital itself, but is a named (two word) location where the capital is located. So Túna rather than Tirion (but not Túna).

hS

Amon Obel does come to mind, as a hill where Halad capital lies.

OBEL it is. It follows after Amon(ster), and is... well, I guess the fact that I didn't know a division symbol is properly called an 'obelus' should have hinted that it would be a tricky clue?

DIMBAR - A dull pub between the rivers.
OSSIRIAND - I say: Oh sir! I hand this damp place (to you).
REGION - An area, with trees.
LINDON - A little later, the shortened line of Italian nobles stands on the shore.
AROS - By a slightly longer name, would still smell as sweet, and probably of holly.
THALOS - Big, purple, fancy glove - no, sorry, I misread, it's just a river.
HOBBITON - A cry of greeting over most of a thousand kilos of rabbits, just outside the door.
THOUSAND CAVES - You send, formally and pretty much, Latin cautions underground.
OBEL - A division without us? Normally after a short monster where the capital stands.
LHUN - Attila in bad French runs towards a haven.
OLD FOREST - I am aged, I am off to bed, I am just west of here.
RATHLORIEL - In anger and the voice of the laws of Hell, name me a second time after the battle.
I? -- Hell, Mike reversed into a pit and found the leader a step in.
ESTOLAD - He stole ads? You'd never hear it once in the camp.
NELDORETH - A scrambled article, a stick, and a singular lens got turned around in the woods.

One I to go. I is the second letter, and the location is in the Shire.

hS

Got it. MICHEL DELVING.

MIC + HEL + (a delving is a pit).

I was stuck because I was trying to reverse MIC itself.

That's the one; it's Hell-Mike reversed, rather than Hell, Mike reversed. (Also I have a nagging suspicion that first word is pronounced 'Mickle', but whatever.

DIMBAR - A dull pub between the rivers.
OSSIRIAND - I say: Oh sir! I hand this damp place (to you).
REGION - An area, with trees.
LINDON - A little later, the shortened line of Italian nobles stands on the shore.
AROS - By a slightly longer name, would still smell as sweet, and probably of holly.
THALOS - Big, purple, fancy glove - no, sorry, I misread, it's just a river.
HOBBITON - A cry of greeting over most of a thousand kilos of rabbits, just outside the door.
THOUSAND CAVES - You send, formally and pretty much, Latin cautions underground.
OBEL - A division without us? Normally after a short monster where the capital stands.
LHUN - Attila in bad French runs towards a haven.
OLD FOREST - I am aged, I am off to bed, I am just west of here.
RATHLORIEL - In anger and the voice of the laws of Hell, name me a second time after the battle.
MICHEL DELVING - Hell, Mike reversed into a pit and found the leader a step in.
ESTOLAD - He stole ads? You'd never hear it once in the camp.
NELDORETH - A scrambled article, a stick, and a singular lens got turned around in the woods.

Which looks something like this:

https://i.imgur.com/IXUpGP1.png

I... hadn't realised quite how far from Lorien the markers stop. :eek:

Over to you, Pervinca.

hS

What a great theme for a password! (Unfortunately, my Middle-earth geography is no better than my geography of the world as it now is).

Hope you all like this one:

1. The French garlic is noted – and in the confusion she appears, somewhere where raw pottery is suspended?
2. Revolutionary, in his turmoil, loses Vik for her!
3. Bluster loses its sedentary attitude, and urgency begins. See him.
4. A fondness for babycham, French tea, shellfish and bloomers is evident in him!
5. Gloin – barmy? Or is it relative? Either way, there’ll be trouble before she appears!
6. Will he be there ages?
7. Avarice of an armed force? Mix it for him. He’s a blogger – with a couple of differences.
8. Wet place twists limb back for him.
9. An evident gourmand. And an endless Surrey town becomes sibilant for the blissful fellow!

#8: a wet place could be a FEN, and a limb could be a leg, twisted backwards to make FENGEL.

#7: if 'a blogger with a couple of differences' is a straight clue, it could point to a chronicler, of which Tolkien has a few. Avarice suggests GREED, which almost appears in 'Pengolodh'... but not really close enough, and you're left with 'pnloh' for an army.

Could that latter be HOST? Greed Host is an anagram of, uh... Ghost Deer, that famed writer of the... Nandor? ^_^; Maybe not.

And obviously #4 is Cidertheclambread. ^_^

hS

1. The French garlic is noted – and in the confusion she appears, somewhere where raw pottery is suspended?
2. Revolutionary, in his turmoil, loses Vik for her!
3. Bluster loses its sedentary attitude, and urgency begins. See him.
4. A fondness for babycham, French tea, shellfish and bloomers is evident in him!
5. Gloin – barmy? Or is it relative? Either way, there’ll be trouble before she appears!
6. Will he be there ages?
7. Avarice of an armed force? Mix it for him. He’s a blogger – with a couple of differences.
FENGEL: Wet place twists limb back for him.
9. An evident gourmand. And an endless Surrey town becomes sibilant for the blissful fellow!

7. GREED is a correct element, but 'blogger' is not the straight clue and 'host' is wrong.

Your answer to 4 is perhaps closer than you realise.

#1: Garlic is ail in French, or this could be [le/la] + [synonym for garlic = probably allium/clove]. Then add a note and scramble.

I can't find any female names that fit the first idea, so probably the second. :)

Allium + N almost gives MELIAN, but you'd need to lose 'lu' and gain 'e', so probably not.

Where do you hang or keep 'raw pottery'? A kiln, if you're cooking it; or perhaps we're looking for a place similar to Clayhang.

Oh look, there's a Hobbit family named Clayhanger, and the only known member is LAILA. Ail + the note la (I understand it follows so). I hear your sister did her in, Pervinca...

hS

LALIA CLAYHANGER: The French garlic is noted – and in the confusion she appears, somewhere where raw pottery is suspended?
2. Revolutionary, in his turmoil, loses Vik for her!
3. Bluster loses its sedentary attitude, and urgency begins. See him.
4. A fondness for babycham, French tea, shellfish and bloomers is evident in him!
5. Gloin – barmy? Or is it relative? Either way, there’ll be trouble before she appears!
6. Will he be there ages?
7. Avarice of an armed force? Mix it for him. He’s a blogger – with a couple of differences.
FENGEL: Wet place twists limb back for him.
9. An evident gourmand. And an endless Surrey town becomes sibilant for the blissful fellow!

L'AIL + A

It's Lalia ... I did mention some confusion. ;) And it's a wicked rumour! Bath chairs are tricky enough articles without talking of pushing them!

I thought 5 could be Ungoliant the ugly spider, but unless UANT means 'barmy', in doesn't fit.

It does. It's A NUT. :) Or AUNT for relative.

LALIA CLAYHANGER: The French garlic is noted – and in the confusion she appears, somewhere where raw pottery is suspended?
2. Revolutionary, in his turmoil, loses Vik for her!
3. Bluster loses its sedentary attitude, and urgency begins. See him.
4. A fondness for babycham, French tea, shellfish and bloomers is evident in him!
UNGOLIANT: Gloin – barmy? Or is it relative? Either way, there’ll be trouble before she appears!
6. Will he be there ages?
7. Avarice of an armed force? Mix it for him. He’s a blogger – with a couple of differences.
FENGEL: Wet place twists limb back for him.
9. An evident gourmand. And an endless Surrey town becomes sibilant for the blissful fellow!

The only connection between them is that they all died.

Fairly confident 4 is Perry the Winkle. Babycham is a perry (pear cider) tea in French is thé winkle is shellfish and a periwinkle is a flower so in crossword speak a bloomer.

2 Shelob. Bolshevik ( revolutionary) less Vik is an anagram.

All so far grew vast through greed. Oh perhaps not Fengel but he was unpleasant in some way need to check.. ok he had a gluttonous and avaricious nature.

LALIA CLAYHANGER: The French garlic is noted – and in the confusion she appears, somewhere where raw pottery is suspended?
SHELOB: Revolutionary, in his turmoil, loses Vik for her!
3. Bluster loses its sedentary attitude, and urgency begins. See him.
PERRY-THE-WINKLE: A fondness for babycham, French tea, shellfish and bloomers is evident in him!
UNGOLIANT: Gloin – barmy? Or is it relative? Either way, there’ll be trouble before she appears!
6. Will he be there ages?
7. Avarice of an armed force? Mix it for him. He’s a blogger – with a couple of differences.
FENGEL: Wet place twists limb back for him.
9. An evident gourmand. And an endless Surrey town becomes sibilant for the blissful fellow!

'Periwinkle' is ingenious for 'bloomer,' but actually it was a reference to PTW's love of CRAMSOME BREAD, which the old troll served him for tea and taught him to make. Bloomer as in loaf.

But then, perhaps I should take the credit and pretend I meant both kinds of bloomers (or two of the three? ;))

I once used CRAMSOME BREAD as an answer, and called it a bloomer in the clue. A long time ago, though.

You are right about the theme, too.

Yes, Tolkien wrote 'He was greedy of food and also of power.'

In that case is the password corpulent?

LALIA CLAYHANGER: The French garlic is noted – and in the confusion she appears, somewhere where raw pottery is suspended?
SHELOB: Revolutionary, in his turmoil, loses Vik for her!
???R???: Bluster loses its sedentary attitude, and urgency begins. See him.
PERRY-THE-WINKLE: A fondness for babycham, French tea, shellfish and bloomers is evident in him!
UNGOLIANT: Gloin – barmy? Or is it relative? Either way, there’ll be trouble before she appears!
???L???: Will he be there ages?
???E???: Avarice of an armed force? Mix it for him. He’s a blogger – with a couple of differences.
FENGEL: Wet place twists limb back for him.
???T???: An evident gourmand. And an endless Surrey town becomes sibilant for the blissful fellow!

THEME: CORPULENT CHARACTERS

Indeed it is. :)

I was quite scared, upthread, that the last clue might be the next to be guessed. :o

6 Forlong? Nicknamed the fat. For long

Correct!
 

LALIA CLAYHANGER: The French garlic is noted – and in the confusion she appears, somewhere where raw pottery is suspended?
SHELOB: Revolutionary, in his turmoil, loses Vik for her!
???R???: Bluster loses its sedentary attitude, and urgency begins. See him.
PERRY-THE-WINKLE: A fondness for babycham, French tea, shellfish and bloomers is evident in him!
UNGOLIANT: Gloin – barmy? Or is it relative? Either way, there’ll be trouble before she appears!
FORLONG: Will he be there ages?
???E???: Avarice of an armed force? Mix it for him. He’s a blogger – with a couple of differences.
FENGEL: Wet place twists limb back for him.
???T???: An evident gourmand. And an endless Surrey town becomes sibilant for the blissful fellow!

THEME: CORPULENT CHARACTERS

Needed pen paper and Huinesoron’s legwork for this as well as a limited pool of less than slender characters.

7 Fredegar Bolger. Bolger is blogger with an extra letter and a pair of transposed letters. Fredegar is an anagram of RAF and greed.

Excellent!
 

LALIA CLAYHANGER: The French garlic is noted – and in the confusion she appears, somewhere where raw pottery is suspended?
SHELOB: Revolutionary, in his turmoil, loses Vik for her!
???R???: Bluster loses its sedentary attitude, and urgency begins. See him.
PERRY-THE-WINKLE: A fondness for babycham, French tea, shellfish and bloomers is evident in him!
UNGOLIANT: Gloin – barmy? Or is it relative? Either way, there’ll be trouble before she appears!
FORLONG: Will he be there ages?
FREDEGAR BOLGER: Avarice of an armed force? Mix it for him. He’s a blogger – with a couple of differences.
FENGEL: Wet place twists limb back for him.
???T???: An evident gourmand. And an endless Surrey town becomes sibilant for the blissful fellow!

THEME: CORPULENT CHARACTERS

T: Aw, no, not Surrey again... :D

Based on your comment about it being guessed early, I think the first part must be 'fat[ty]', but Fredegar is already gone, and Fatty Lumpkin (Tom Bombadil is harsh on his pony) doesn't have a silibant. That's all I can...

... ah. Dorking, right? Poor old FATTIE DORKINS, of Mr. Bliss fame. (Who knew that owning such a strange book would pay such dividends in the noble sport of passwordery?) The straight clue is nice and sneaky on this one. :)

hS, off to bury my head in shame for misspelling Lalia's name

I spent ages trying to get Fatty Lumpkin and Bolger to work and only gave up when I read the greed comment which clicked Fredegar in place. I have never read Mr Bliss though.

Is the R Bombur by any chance? I had butterbur stuck in my brain for this but thinking about Lumpkin led to Bombadil and itsuddenly occurred that bluster could be bombast and if you take the first two letters of urgency and lose the letters that make up sat....

Sneaky? Moi?
 

LALIA CLAYHANGER: The French garlic is noted – and in the confusion she appears, somewhere where raw pottery is suspended?
SHELOB: Revolutionary, in his turmoil, loses Vik for her!
BOMBUR: Bluster loses its sedentary attitude, and urgency begins. See him.
PERRY-THE-WINKLE: A fondness for babycham, French tea, shellfish and bloomers is evident in him!
UNGOLIANT: Gloin – barmy? Or is it relative? Either way, there’ll be trouble before she appears!
FORLONG: Will he be there ages?
FREDEGAR BOLGER: Avarice of an armed force? Mix it for him. He’s a blogger – with a couple of differences.
FENGEL: Wet place twists limb back for him.
FATTY DORKINS: An evident gourmand. And an endless Surrey town becomes sibilant for the blissful fellow!

THEME: CORPULENT CHARACTERS

Quite right, both of you. Is it Fatty or Fattie? Can't remember for sure.

I'd forgotten that Butterbur was on the large size too. And about Master Lumpkin (who always makes me think of Tony Lumpkin in 'She Stoops To Conquer.')

I didn't go for answers like Bilbo, because he wasn't particularly fat for his kind.

This began as a much shorter puzzle, with LARGE for the password. But I thought of further candidates, and as CORPULENT was closer to the meaning, I made them fit that. I originally just had LALIA for the first answer, but CLAYHANGER was absolutely the only way I could get the C. I suppose even when the password applied to her, though, she was still a Clayhanger by birth.

Similarly, Fredegar Bolger was originally just Fredegar, but as Fatty Dorkins needed to be named in full and Lalia now appeared with her surname, I thought he had better do to. Hence the second sentence in that clue.

Well done, and over to Mithalwen.