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Healer_of_Ithilien
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Post Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 03, 2004 02:09
Hey guys! I’m fairly new here, and I really like the site.

I thought I’d post the two cakes I made earlier this year for different birthdays, and if anyone’s made cakes for LotR or lembas, or hobbit stew, they can post those here and describe them. Anyway, the first of mine— The Treebeard Cake, which actually made it to theonering.net: http://www.theonering.net/archives/main_news/2.28.04-3.05.04 That's the link to the archives with the pic on the front page. This is to the actual picture:

http://img-nex.theonering.net/images/scrapbook/12374.jpg

I made a 9X13” pan cake, then I iced it, then used a toothpick to draw the general outline of Treebeard, based on some sketches I had done. I also had the big Talking Treebeard Action figure, so that was cool, I could turn it any way I wanted for reference. The talking part was so I could be entertained: “Little orcs.. burarum hoom,” “I told Gandalf I would keep you safe, and safe is where I’ll keep you!” “Dooon’t be hasssty.”

Then I did him all over in “bark”—shavings of chocolate, using a potato peeler to get those neat little thin pieces. Then I did his eyes, eyebrows, beard, and nose with strings of icing, then I sprinkled the whole thing with green sprinkles for moss. Then the imitation “Bilbo’s Book” script, to say Happy Birthday.

So I’d caught the fever of making LotR cakes, and the next birthday I decided to make... a sword-cake. That is, not a cake with a sword on it, but I made a sword-sized cake of Andúril, reforged.

http://www.warofthering.net/photoforum/data/524/2904Narsil_and_cake-sil-med.jpg

I sneakily borrowed my brother’s full-sized Narsil sword. I set it out on the table, and, using paper, made small 4-inch or so patterns of the sword, each a different piece, so, when all put together, it would make up a whole sword. Then I numbered them all, and made a small sketch of the sword to reference my numbered pieces to later on.

I couldn’t, of course, fit the whole length sword into the oven, so I made a 9X13” pan of cake, fit all the pattern pieces onto that, then cut them out.
Cutting was the hard part... I was so afraid to mess up, but thankfully it wasn’t too bad. The very tip of the blade was so thin that I crumbled it a little as I positioned it, but ah, the magic of icing. But somehow in all the cutting, the patterns downsized a bit to fit onto the cake, so it’s a bit smaller than the actual sword. If I had to do over again, I would make the crossbar longer, and the handgrip to two-handed, like in the movie.

Now, hmm, what do you put a four-foot or so cake onto? Several cookie sheets taped together? Not sturdy enough for when we have to carry it to the table... finally decided on a sheet of plywood covered in tin foil.

So once it was all placed, I got white icing, and using an entire tube of black food coloring—this really annoyed me, with black you’re supposed to get black, not just the slightest shade of gray—to get that slight gray. I might as well have used white. But I didn’t have any more food coloring, so I just went with that color.

Iced it all, cut out tiny notches for the ends of the cross-guard and the pommel, then I put the hand grip color together, using blue, red, and some green. It still didn’t look just right, not navy, anyway. Then a dot of red food coloring for the gem near the blade— then carved “Happy Birthday” in Dwarf Runes down the blade and that slight sun motif that’s on Andúril—then, once all together and with candles all down the blade, two people carry it to the table (I’m reminded of Bilbo’s b-day cake, lol with all those hobbits carrying it). Several inside joke puns are made about the “Flame of the West,” with the flaming candles on it.

But, oh well. Those are my cakes. I’m also thinking about an Arwen Coronation Cake with her standing and those doll kits you can get at the grocery for her face, and then I could go into all the details of my other love, sewing—but with no upcoming birthday, I’m at a loss...

What's anyone else done? I've made lembas before, but I didn't have that great of a recipe. But I wrapped them up in leaves and they looked great just the same. Ooh, this post went too long.
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 04, 2004 09:37
Hello and I loved the pictures of your cakes!

How did you make lembas please? Wouldn't Thanksgiving be fun themed along Middle Earth lines?
glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 12, 2004 09:44
man, that's AWESOME!! and that looks so much like one of my friend's sketches of Treebeard it isn't funny... well, it's not bright pink, but y'know...

there're a few recipes for Lembas in the LHH recipes pages, I really liked the "Gift of Galadriel Lembas"-- which is basically semolina flour, slightly less honey than flour, two eggs, a tbsp. of orange peel, and a couple of cups of ground almonds. (don't go by this though, I'm almost certain I've got it pretty much wrong... *sigh*) Oh, and although the recipe says to cook it in a krumcake iron, I found out that you can get good (if somewhat dissimilar results) in a simple cake pan. *shrug* it worked!

It would be so cool to do M-e thanksgiving... wow, thank you for the idea. I usually do most of the cooking, so I could just pretend it was regular... and do it all M-e. and giggle to myself all evening... let's see, anyone want to help me make a menu?
Some ideas: (sorta maybe possibly)
-- If you use turkey, spice it hobbit-y. Rosemary and... sage, maybe.. saltwater?... or human-y... what would that be?
-- Lembas for cornbread (maybe make both for picky eaters or people who know your obsession and whine about it...) or something like a mix between the two: a lembas recipe with a little less honey, some brown sugar, a bit of baking powder, and maize... would that work?
-- Meat pies... for some reason, it feels like they'd eat something like that in Bree.
-- Maybe a big joint of meat. Just a hail to the dwarves... or beef stew... very very thick beef stew, like... maybe a couple of roasts cooked like regular roasts, then diced, then cooked a little further... with bay leaves, onions, potatoes, beer, carrots?


Anyone wanna add on?
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 13, 2004 01:57
I like your ideas, glory2glordfindel.

The beef stew or joint of beef sounds like the dwarves. I make a beef stew with a thick gravy sauce, beef chunks, carrots, and potatoes. Good idea.

Hmm....I think a nice spice cake would be good too. With some cider to drink perhaps??

How about decorating the table? What would be used? Some large leaves as if from the trees of Lothlorien (sp?)? Or some golden yellow and rust colored flowers as if from the Shire gardens?

A good wine to toast the event?
glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 13, 2004 10:07
You gotta take into account the fact that November might be a little past the flowers, depending on where you are. We get first frost in late September and snow in October, so it's unlikely you'd be able to get proper flowers. Leaves, maybe... A little like Rivendell. Maybe cut a few older maple branches and hang them around?
Or, if you were setting it in Bree, Tolkien does say that the table was already dressed with a clean white cloth... simple enough.
Okay, getting a little off topic here... sry!

How would you modify potatoes? not like "Of Stewed Rabbit and Potatoes" potatoes of fame, but more like mashed potatoes? Perhaps spices like the fowl: rosemary and/or sage...?

Ack! How could I forget mushrooms?? Perhaps... maybe barely cooked, over something else? Or included in stuffing? *yumm*

oh, wow.. Tolkien actually talks about the food! "In a twinkling the table was laid. There was hot soup, cold meats, a blackberry tart, new loaves, slabs of butter, and half a ripe cheese: good plain food, as good as the Shire could show, and homelike enough to dispel the last of Sam's misgivings (already much relieved by the excellence of the beer)." (FotR, pg 151, At the Sign of the Prancing Pony)
So maybe blackberry or berry tart along with the traditional pumpkin pie? And good bread; would that be sour or sweet, y'think?
gwenneth_amauriel
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 13, 2004 11:35
Wow! I wish I could have thought of making middle earth cakes and stuff! That's clever. I've been wanting to have a lotr party, and was wandering what food to make and now I have an idea. Thanks to Healer_of_Ithilien of course. Have you ever made any middle earth drinks? (non-alcoholic?) Heck, does any one even know what drinks they might of had? Besides tea and water? (Sorry, iv'e gone and changed the topic now.) If anyone knows, PM me please.
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 13, 2004 01:57
I was thinking of autumn flowers such as mums. The most common colors are rust, rust orange, and yellow.

I think I'll try a cake like Healer_of_Ithilien has done for Thanksgiving and let my kids help me with it. They'd enjoy that a lot.

As for the rest, I like the idea of a simple tablecloth with some leaves on it. Perhaps some Celtic symbols stenciled on the tablecloth in gold or silver to look Elvish??

I think potatoes are good any way you fix them. At least according to Sam. New Potatoes in Garlic Butter or Mashed Potatoes with a thick gravy. Both sound good.

Mushrooms definitely. In stuffing or larger ones stuffed themselves???

Oh yes. Blackberry tart with pumpkin pie would be excellent. You'd have a nice spread on taste sensations.

Good bread with creamy butter is a must too. Now my husband actually makes our stuffing for our turkey with bread pieces rather than cornbread. Bread, sausage, butter, celery, onion, and sage. Delicious!
Healer_of_Ithilien
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 14, 2004 05:21
Oh, wow... a Middle-Earth Thanksgiving would be awesome. I'm envisioning a big fat turkey, stuffed with mushrooms and stuffing (more mushrooms than stuffing! ) Sweet potatoes, mmm...

Gwenneth Amauriel: I think the hobbits mostly drank ale, lol, but the books do mention the sweet wine of Rivendell, "miruvor". Someday I'm going to try to make up a non-alchoholic recipe for that... Then it could be served with the pies for Thanksgiving dessert.
gwenneth_amauriel
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 14, 2004 07:26
mmm....wine. sounds good to me!!!Thanks!
glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 14, 2004 07:30
" 'Give them this,' said Gandalf, searching in his pack and drawing out a leathern flask. 'Just a mouthful each - for all of us. It is very precious. It is miruvor, the cordial of Imladris. Elrond gave it to me at our parting. Pass it round!'
As soon as Frodo had swallowed a little of the warm and fragrant liquor he felt a new strength of heart, and the heavy drowsiness left his limbs." Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Ring Goes South.

High order! uhhh... I have no clue how you would make that... possibly... there are some berry-flavored teas, you could mix that with juice (blueberry or cherry maybe?) of some sort, keep it heated. Sweeten if needed... and serve in small, chilled glassses?

OOOH, mums! Ya, that would work nicely... nice glass vase.... My aunt has a huge garden full of them... score! . And I like your idea with the tablecloth. Hanging branches around is a little ambitious, really.
(lol, this is starting to look like it should be called "Thanksgiving in Middle Earth" or "Middle Earth Cooks" or something instead of "Bakers"

I guess this year's gonna be different than most. Nice and mushroomy. Not that my parents would ever let me get ale (lol, at least not for a few more years...)... but I think there are a few (non- and alcoholic) recipes for miruvor in the LHH recipe box. Not that they come anywhere close to what it might be... but, y'know... my little sister might like it. But I can (and will) work with what I got.

So far our possible selections: (aka, I'm trying to make some sense out of my plans.)
~~ Turkey w/ mushroom stuffing
~~ Stuffed portabello
~~ Blackberry tart (and some sort of pie... *shrug*)
~~ Cookies of some sort... "and nibbling upon their favorite dainties..." (FOTR)
~~ Miruvor
~~ Beef stew
~~ Savory pies?
~~ Potatoes... somehow. I like boiled and spiced and then lightly fried, but someone else might have another idea. Mashed with garlic?
~~ OOOH, green tomato pie. *drools* it's awesome. I know it's strange, but PM me if you want the recipe.

--- Background music? Hobbit-mandolin ish? the LotR soundtracks? Celtic style something? Enya?
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 15, 2004 12:10
Such great ideas! I can't wait to try them out.

We'll be having honey mead with our meal this year. It's delicious and it can drank warm or cold. But for nonalcoholic a nice honey flavored drink sounds lovely and something the Shire would have??

I didn't mean to hijack the thread. I just got excited on seeing Healer_of_Ithilien's cakes and the ideas started flowing. I'm sorry.
glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 15, 2004 06:37
I certainly don't mind that the thread's taken a turn. that's what discussions do, ain't it?

mead? How would that be made? (I haven't ever noticed a recipe in any of the books I use)... you can PM me or post a basic recipe here, I guess.

Who here will be making their own bread, or do regularly? I was wondering if it would be better to use a sweet bread (or slightly so) and if so, would honey or white sugar be more likely used? I think maybe the Mannish waybreads would be more like hardbread, but I wouldn't want to serve hardbread if I could avoid it, so the other possibility is something more like sourdough. Which do you think would fit better into the sort of plans we've been laying out? It seems to me the hobbits would like sweet bread, and the Elves something very natural, honey-ish with nut flour or flavoring and fruit, and the men something more practical (because, face it, it's darn hard to get honey and fruit and nuts when you're on patrol or in a town that doesn't exactly encourage berry hedges...).
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 16, 2004 02:00
Put like that, I feel better.

I buy my honey mead. It's called Chaucer's Mead and is described as a medium sweet wine in the tradition of honey wine. It comes with seasoning packets for when you drink it warm. It's about $10 a bottle and worth it. But I've got a website with mead recipes on it.

http://www.greydragon.org/brewing/mead.html

I agree on your breads. So I'll look up bread recipes today and see what's out there. I don't think banana bread is too hard to make and it would perhaps be a good breakfast bread hobbit style?? Something good on Thanksgiving morning while everyone is busy preparing for later?
Healer_of_Ithilien
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 16, 2004 04:02
This isn't hijacking! It's bakers of Middle-Earth!

Wow, this all sounds so good, but unfortunately, I don't have a say in Thanksgiving dinner, lol, so it's going to be traditional for me.. :sob:

I make bread pretty regularly. I use a wheat honey recipe--of course, it's just traditional bread (good!, just traditional and not hobbity or elvish), but I wonder what it would be like if you left out some yeast and baked it in a different pan, it might work as some hobbity bread or something. Well, come to think of it, I think the hobbits would like nice white bread, and the men would go more for healthy wheat stuff.
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 16, 2004 07:19
For another spice to consider...try using thyme. I don't know if I spelled it right or not but it is really good in potatoes. I know how to make the creamiest mashed potatoes from watching my mom make them. Skin and cut up the taters and boil them until they are cooked then use an electric beater and mix until they aren't chunky anymore. Add some milk to them and maybe a tiny hint of butter and of course your seasonings. They are the best. And of course....gravy gravy gravy!!
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 16, 2004 08:08
LoTRgeek14 is right. We use a mixer on our potatoes too and they are so creamy. Thyme....I'll have to try that, thanks.
Lady_Nienna
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 16, 2004 09:07
I am very excited about this thread!! I just found it. I absolutely love to bake!
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 17, 2004 01:40
So during the week of Thanksgiving, you can make a cake along the lines of Healer_of_Ithilien's wonderful cakes. Perhaps one in the shape of the Lorien brooch worn by the fellowship members? That seems easy and pretty.

A good Shire meal maybe:
Honey-glazed carrots
Mashed potatoes with herbs and butter
Juicy baked turkey with mushroom stuffing
Applesauce cake
Honey flavored tea? Apple cider? Milk? Water?

I'm not so good with planning an elven meal and it seems like men would have something sort of like the Hobbits. I don't know.
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 17, 2004 09:44
For the race of men i would say:

-definetly a big juicy turkey
-baked potatoes...baked, not mashed..maybe cooked in the same pot as the turkey so you get the juice in...yummm
-cornbread
-wine
make sure everything is food that you would eat with your fingers, like you can pick up, because i know they don't really use forks or knives or anything like that...
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 17, 2004 09:59
For men how about those turkey drumsticks that are so big?? Maybe corn on the cob too? Good thoughts.
glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 17, 2004 05:44
well, the movie said that Denethor, at least, didn't use utensils. Hopefully, the race of Men doesn't eat like he does... very much hopefully. crunch, squish... yuck.

huh... how about Rohan? Ale, we know. "And Eowyn came forth, bearing wine.."-- so wine, too. The language of the Rohirrim was said to be like the land itself, so possibly their fare was as well. "Rich and rolling in part, and else hard and stern as the mountains." okay... so... help? I can imagine "rich and rolling" (even if it does bring to mind the meatball that rolled out the door....) to be, in times of plenty, mutton, with a sort of bread, maybe. perhaps toast of a sort, cooked bread, then re-cooked after it was sliced and served warm. OOh, maybe something like a flatbread?? Perhaps for 'hard and stern' you could assume something with a sort of tang, like a rhubarb dish with **slightly** less sugar than a recipe said. Or onions, not quite cooked to sweet transperancy. I can't imagine Eomer ever eating a salad though... O.o... definitely not.

((I am really glad we get a full week off for thanksgiving.. I'll need it!))
Healer_of_Ithilien
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 18, 2004 02:58
Hmm, how would elves do their Thanksgiving? I'm thinking of nice smelling little dainties in pastel colors (), just a little bit of everything. Would they have a big golden turkey? Hmm!

How about horseradish mashed potatoes for a Rohan dinner? We had some of that at a Norweigian restaurant in Disney World and it tasted WONDERFUL, like all the food there. Just add horseradish and salt and butter to the potatoes, mmm, don't even need gravy.
glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 18, 2004 11:21
like horseradish sauce, or like mashed leaves? or wasabi? sounds good, whichever!
Healer_of_Ithilien
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 20, 2004 02:42
We used horseradish sauce, and then, by mistake my brother bought the kind of horseradish like mayo, a condiment for sandwhiches or something, so we used that and that worked, too.

What about dessert for Middle-Earth Thanksgiving?
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 20, 2004 09:06
desert...hmm...thats a thinker. maybe some sort of custard, or a mincemeat pie maybe, for hobbits, they like cake....
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 20, 2004 09:40
Would the elves like some sort of dessert with fruit in it? Something fluffy rather than cake-like?

Would the hobbits like applesauce cake, spice cake, or pumpkin pie?

Men...maybe hand held tarts and scones???
glory2glorfindel
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 20, 2004 10:57
I can imagine a berry sauce, strawberries? raspberries? over angel food cake for elves. Angel food! Elf food! One and the same!! sorry...

I bet hobbits would like spice cake, like Brandi said. Actually, I'm sorta thinking the hobbits wouldn't be exactly picky....

Men... maybe... I'm still thinking along the lines of rich here, possibly a sweet bread pudding... like upside down cherry pudding or something.
LadyLegolas113
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: August 28, 2004 10:22
O.K. I am going to have a LOTR ROTK viewing party for my 16th birthday. I know it sounds slightly childish but I think it will be fun. I need some elven/hobbitish/dwarvish food ideas, and some neat gaming ideas! Any help would be greatly appreciated! If you have any ideas, e-mail me at [email protected] with LOTR PARTY as the subject! Thanks! Or you can always post here but I prefer e-mail!
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: September 01, 2004 12:04
sorry legolas i dont like sending email to strangers..so i will post here >_<...how about pin the tail on bill the pony?!!!!
Brandi
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: September 01, 2004 12:26
Perhaps angel food cake cut into small hand size pieces with whipped cream then sliced strawberries on top?

Plain white napkins with Celtic symbols drawn on them.

Some of that Welch's white grape juice will look sort of like wine. Or ginger ale.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm coming up dry for games.
Hanasian
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Post RE: Bakers of Middle-Earth
on: April 06, 2015 12:19
LadyLegolas113 said:O.K. I am going to have a LOTR ROTK viewing party for my 16th birthday. I know it sounds slightly childish but I think it will be fun. I need some elven/hobbitish/dwarvish food ideas, and some neat gaming ideas! Any help would be greatly appreciated! If you have any ideas, e-mail me at [email protected] with LOTR PARTY as the subject! Thanks! Or you can always post here but I prefer e-mail!


...and to think LadyLegolas113 would be 26 now ...

Getting back to baking and food and celebrations, if we go by the Middle Earth calendars, there wouldn't be a Thanksgiving per se that lines up with the modern American holiday. The closest would be Yáviérë which would be a harvest festival in Gondor. That aligns with the equinox and is equivalent to 21 September. I am betting there was great feasting on this day, and the other three days of the year that were special days on the Calendars of men.

I have to say that I had quite the Middle Earth feast this night, with a butterflied chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and prosciutto, Honey, Ginger, and Rosemary roasted baby carrots, Garlic and Rosemary roasted potatoes, and steamed broccoli with butter!

Lets hear about your Middle Earthy feasts!
Eighth King of Arthedain - It was in battle that I come into this Kingship, and it will be in Battle when I leave it. There is no peace for the Realm of Arnor. Read the last stand of Arthedain in the Darkest of Days.
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on: September 10, 2016 09:56
Had the Samwise Special Baked potatos for dinner last night.
Eighth King of Arthedain - It was in battle that I come into this Kingship, and it will be in Battle when I leave it. There is no peace for the Realm of Arnor. Read the last stand of Arthedain in the Darkest of Days.
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