Why do some Nazgûl thrive when commanded to hunt down their master’s stolen Ring while others falter under pressure? Why do some revel in the responsibility of throwing down their enemy when others wither like fog in strong sunlight?
You might not know it, but nine (count them!) keenly honed success habits keep them hot on the trail. Nazgûl apprentices, here are those nine instinctive habits that the most successful Ringwraiths draw on in their daily unlife to keep the Dark Lord number one. Read and learn.
1) Let your powers combine.
Captain Planet does it. Voltron does it. The Power Rangers too. So take heed: when it matters, ensure you gather under your fell leader so that even the Wise might fear to face you.
2) Wear black. Lots and lots of black.
Black never goes out of style. And the effect is scary as the Dickens when when you loom menacingly into view of your prey just as the light fades.
3) Embrace your hydrophobia!
Never forget that you and water do not get along. At all. In that sense, you might as well be the Wicked Witch-king of the West. Next time you consider fording that tiny creek? Think twice.
4) Don’t put a Ring on it, stick a Morgul Blade in it.
They say if you love it, put a ring on it. But only the Dark Lord may do that. Use a Morgul Blade to express your affection instead. It’s the smart way to ensure your new BFF will stay by your side always and forever!
5) Maintain a ready supply of remounts and robes.
There are few worse humiliations for a Ringwraith than having to crawl back naked and unclothed to your Dark Lord because you went for an impromptu dip and it all went pear-shaped. So for the love of Morgoth, pack extra robes (black, of course) and take a spare horse or an enormous flying raptor thing (or both!) just in case.
6) Let your minions do the dying for you.
Need to destroy the gates of the enemy fortress? Compel your horde of minions to do it for you! Drive them before you like cattle until they fear you more than the enemy’s darts and arrows. Don’t forget to ride to your glorious victory over the crushed, mutilated corpses of friend and foe for additional intimidation.
7) Remember, fear is your chief weapon.
And surprise. And fanatical devotion to The Po… err … Sauron. Anyway, the key point is intimidate your opponents (or your minions) until they give you what you want, or flee in terror.
8) Always stop to smell the roses.
Your sense of smell is even better than a labrador’s or a beagle’s. Only the foolish Nazgûl rush heedlessly ahead. Savour the scents and let your nose guide you to that which the Dark Lord desires.
9) Never reveal your name. Don’t encourage familiarity.
You are one of the Nazgûl, the chief and most-feared servants of the Dark Lord, not a camp counsellor. Be the Nameless Fear. Names are for lesser minions — and, seemingly, Khamûl. Because he just has to be different from everyone else.
Throwback to a post from some years ago, by the very excellent Staffer Demosthenes with help from LurkingLaurie.
Images from PJ’s LOTR via the very excellent FrameCapLib LOTR screecap project; and one from Ralph Bakshi’s LOTR (1978).
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Last year we launched our Collecting The Precious Podcast, and were able to film 2 episodes before 2021 ended. Today, we bring you the third episode of our little collectibles chat. In episode 3, we were able to get Ben back with us, and we’re really really grateful that he was willing to take time out of his schedule to sit down with us. In this episode, we talk about price, edition size, and “value”, and really how subjective these three things are, as we collect these absolutely fantastic pieces. This was a set of topics I wanted to chat about, since it’s something that comes up all the time over the years and has been a point of contention I think, as prices rise and new companies like Prime One enter the game. I hope you all enjoy this one, and thank you for the support! Continue reading “Collecting The Precious – Collecting The Precious Podcast Episode 3”
Twenty years have passed since we all first visited Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle-earth; to celebrate the anniversary of the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, our friends at NZ Post have released a very special coin. Here’s what they tell us about it:
“20 years ago, on 19th Dec 2001 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring premiered in Wellington, New Zealand nine days after the red carpet was first rolled out for the world premiere in London.
NZ Post will release a special coin featuring the members of the Fellowship:
Minted from 0.999 silver, this coin features the nine characters who form the Fellowship in The Fellowship of the Ring. In the film, wizard Gandalf, men Boromir and Aragorn, elf Legolas, dwarf Gimli and hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin set out on a dangerous journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the One Ring can be destroyed to bring peace to Middle-earth. Behind the characters the coin shows a glimpse of the Misty Mountains (the South Island’s Southern Alps). Elvish text surrounds the central image, and the coin is finished with elegant gold plating on the rim. On the obverse, New Zealand is acknowledged as the home of Middle-earth with the fictional land’s name.
NZ Post is the exclusive issuer of New Zealand legal tender commemorative coins, in partnership with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
The coins have been designed by New Zealand artist Sacha Lees. Lees began her artistic career with a job at Wētā Workshop working on the Lord of the Rings trilogy as an illustrator, airbrush artist, creature designer and concept artist. Sacha is a highly accomplished New Zealand artist, who last year won the prestigious Adam Portraiture Award and was the 2020 New Zealand Portrait Artist of the Year.”
Check out NZ Post’s ‘Unboxing’ video, below. These fabulous coins are a strictly limited edition, so don’t miss out!
If you’re a fan of large scale pieces, and have been wanting The Lord of the Rings to enter that collecting space, then this is going to make your day! The folks over at Infinity Studio X Penguin Toys are now entering the frame. The first 1:2 scale statue from their new The Lord of the Rings line is none other than Legolas himself. Legolas comes in two editions: Ultimate with a price of $2,904(USD) and an edition size of 250 pieces; while the Premium is $1,734(USD) with an edition size of 600 pieces. Both versions ship next year and can be ordered from our friends at Sideshow.
If you’ve been loving the awesome 1:6 scale line of figures from our friends at Asmus Toys, then we’re pleased to announce a new figure coming your way. Now, you’re going to have to wait until the second quarter of next year; but fans will be able to add Bilbo Baggins himself to their collections! Bilbo comes in priced at $185(USD), and he’s going to come with a lot of goodies. These accessories include his pipe, book, cup, backpack, traveling jacket and stick; not forgetting the One Ring! He also has his beautifully colourful attire, hairy Hobbit feet and many hand options, too. Most excitingly, Asmus has included an interchangeable head from the famous Rivendell scene of ‘Possessed Bilbo’! This is something of a surprise to all who were so eagerly waiting for his release. This Bilbo is a very welcome addition to the various versions of this figure, and is one we are sure will make many appearances within collectors’ displays!
One of my favorite lines our friends at Weta Workshop produce is the environments line. Why? Well, I’d love to actually visit Middle-earth, but being a fantasy world, that seems unlikely. I’d love to visit New Zealand – and that may happen someday, but getting there from Missouri isn’t cheap. So collecting these amazingly well done pieces of the places we love is as close as I can get for now; as I’m sure is the case for many of you as well. We now can add three new environment pieces to our collections.
The first is a massive Bag End with that awesome green front door that opens and closes. When you open this door, you’ll be able to peek in and see the main hallway. That’s not all though! It also has a light up feature, giving the feeling that Bilbo or Frodo is at home. You can pre-order this right now through December 22nd for $1,199(USD), with the edition size being determined by the numbers of orders placed. If you want something Bag End but maybe slightly cheaper, there is a hobbit hole sized piece of Bag End for only $99(USD). Both of these pieces ship during the fourth quarter of next year.
