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                 The Fellowship of the Ring

                LEGENDS AND COMMON KNOWLEDGE

                  Typed:  Otay and Beowulf

For those new to Tolkien's Middle-earth, we provide the following
information on items, people, and places that were either legendary,
common knowledge, or were known only to antiquarians such as Bilbo and
Frodo. 

ANGMAR:  "Iron-home," a long-dead evil realm which fell to the armies of
the last alliance of men and elves many millenia ago.  The king of the
realm was a victim of the One Ring, and later became the chief of
Sauron's Ringwraiths. 

ARNOR:  In ancient times, Arnor was the northernmost realm of the men of
Numenor, which fell before the onslaught of Angmar in the Second Age of
Earth. The ruins that dot the trollshaws and old sites, such as
Weathertop, are all relics of the ancient Arnor. 

BAG END:  The ancestral home of the well-to-do hobbit family of Baggins
(not to be confused with their cousins, the Sackville Bagginses). 

BALROG:  An evil spirit raised from Hell during the great wars that
rocked the First Age of Earth. At least one has survived to the period
of our adventure by hiding in the roots of the Misty Mountains, and was
responsible for the destruction of Moria several centuries ago. 

BARROW-DOWNS:  A source of dread legends within the Shire. It is a place
of ancient burial mounds and hostile spirits. 

BLACK RIDERS:  Ringwraiths of Nazgul. The Dark Lord's most loyal and
trusted servants. The Nine Black Riders are forever enslaved to the Ring
of Power. 

BREE:  A small town at the edge of the wilds. It has a mixed population
of men and hobbits. 

ELROND:  Elrond the Half-elven, Lord of Rivendell, is an ancient and
learned figure who has dwelt in Middle-earth since time immemorial. His
wisdom is without question. 

GANDALF:  Gandalf the Grey is the second most powerful Wizard in
Middle-earth. He is an old friend of Bilbo and Frodo. 

HOLLIN:  An ancient, long-vanished kindom of elves. 

MORIA:  A deep labyrinth beneath the Misty Mountains. Called, in the
Dwarven tongue, "Khazar-dum," Moria was once the most fabled and
powerful of the Dwarven kindoms of Middle-earth. It was here that
mithril, or "Grey-flame," was mined, the basic material of magic swords,
runes, and armor. The inhabitants were mostly slain by the Balrog many
centuries ago, and now orcs infest its dark halls. 

RADAGAST:  Radagast the Brown is a Wizards learned in ancient lore.
Radagast has many special skills and responsibilities concerning beasts
and birds. 

RIVENDELL:  The dwelling of Elrond the Half-elven, called the Last
Homely House East of the Sea. Rivendell is not a fortress, or a city,
but a place of learning, healing, and merriment. The Wisdom of the Ages
can be found within its walls. 

SARUMAN:  Saruman the White is the chief of the Order of Wizards, and
the most accomplished of the Middle-earth's wizards. He presides over
the White Council, the defense committee of the forces of good. 

SAURON:  The Dark Lord, Sauron is the embodiment of evil in
Middle-earth. Once thought to have been destroyed during the wars
against him in the Second Age, Sauron has risen again and seeks to
recover his Ring of Power, which will give him the ability to vanquish
the weakened forces of good and enslave right thinking people
everywhere. 

SHIRE:  The Shire is the area between the Brandywine River and the Tower
Hills which the hobbits have made their own. It is a peaceful land of
small rivers, gentle woodlands, and well-tended fields. 

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