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 November Newsletter ~ Nienna
on: November 06, 2006 04:23
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[font=papyrus][size=3] Mae govannen mellyn nîn.[/size][/font]
A warm and friendly welcome is extended to you all. The Halls of Mandos, where Nienna visits regularly and to where you have found your way, are a little chilly at this time of year, but the Lady bids you take a seat in the Waiting Room and warm yourselves by the fire. She is busy in the Group Therapy Room at the moment, handing out Socks and FEs (you will learn something of these items later  ).
Whilst you are here, you may enjoy browsing through our Newsletter. It is on the table with the magazines, 'The Socks Weekly', 'Middle-earth Observer', 'Rohan Horse and Rider', Éowyn's Tasty Recipes and .... hmmmm, what's this? [size=2]'Nienna's News'[/size] ... this looks interesting. Wanna have a look..... Please be patient, this is a pdf file and make take a minute or two.  Nienna News
In Nienna's Newsletter, you will find a collection of articles to let you acquaint yourselves a little with our Niennites and fun ones too, which we hope will exercise your chuckle muscles.  . But first an introduction to our Realm Sponsor and Counsellor par excellence, Nienna.
Grey For Grief: The Portrayal of Nienna in Art and Illustrations
Mightier than Estë is Nienna, sister of the Fëanturi; she dwells alone. She is acquainted with grief, and mourns for every wound that Arda has suffered in the marring of Melkor. So great was her sorrow, as the Music unfolded, that her song turned to lamentation long before its end, and the sound of mourning was woven into the themes of the World before it began. But she does not weep for herself; and those who hearken to her learn pity, and endurance in hope.
Her Halls are West of West, upon the borders of the world; and she comes seldom to the city of Valimar where all is glad. She goes rather to the Halls of Mandos, which are near to her own; and all those who wait in Mandos cry to her, for she brings strength to the spirit and turns sorrow to wisdom. The windows of her house look outward from the walls of the world."
- The Valaquenta (The Account of the Valar)
This is how J.R.R. Tolkien describes Nienna, one of Aratar or eight most powerful Valar, in The Silmarillion. With broad brush strokes he paints the portrait of a solitary woman, whose self-appointed task in life is to remember and mourn the losses and traumas of the world. She is wise and respected, as is shown in some of the texts in The History of Middle-earth series, including a meeting concerning the death of Míriel, Fëanor’s mother [HoME 10. Quenta Silmarillion II Laws A].
But she is also a dubious figure: when Yavanna creates the two Trees of Valinor, Nienna is with her, weaving her sorrow throughout the growth of Yavanna’s greatest work. And when Melkor pleads with Manwë for a pardon, Nienna supports him.
The words that Tolkien seems to use most in association with Nienna are ‘mourning’ and ‘pity’. Elsewhere he writes that it is said that even in the Music Nienna took little part, but listened intent to all that she heard. Therefore she was rich in memory, and farsighted, perceiving how the themes should unfold in the Tale of Arda. But she had little mirth, and all her love was mingled with pity, grieving for the harms of the world and for the things that failed fulfilment. So great was her ruth, it is said, that she could not endure the end of the Music. Therefore she has not the hope of Manwë. He is more farseeing; but Pity is the heart of Nienna. [HoME 10. The Annals of Aman]. Even though this text in not canon, it does help us understand how Nienna’s mind works: her special brand of remembrance allows her to understand and show compassion; but also hinders any real hope for things to end how they should. Nienna is a figure of the past, rather than the future, and she is the embodiment of this past in the present.
Physical Appearance
Tolkien doesn’t say anything about Nienna’s appearance, except for one line in ‘The Silmarillion’: when Fëanor refuses to give the Silmarils to the Valar Nienna rose and went up onto Ezellohar, and cast back her grey hood, and with her tears washed away the defilements of Ungoliant; and she sang in mourning for the bitterness of the world and the Marring of Arda [S II.9. Of the Flight of the Noldor] This hood is the only hint we can find as to what Nienna might look like, but strangely enough we don’t find it in many depictions of her. We can find it in Protoguy’s rendition of Nienna, as well as a lovely water colour piece by Olga Kukhtenkova – Shapiro These two works alone already show how different the interpretations of Nienna’s physique can get.
Overall, one could say that she is portrayed as ‘ageless’ without wrinkles, and beautiful.
Backgrounds and situations
Even though Nienna is present at four of The Silmarillion’s most important moments (the shaping of the trees, the attempt to rekindle the trees, Fëanor’s reply to the Valar and the unchaining of Melkor), she is hardly ever depicted as taking part in any of these events. The only exception we could find ’The Trees of Valinor’ by Joseph M. Olonia, which shows Nienna and Yavanna with the young Trees.
Most illustrations we studied were simply portraits, either close-ups of her face or from the waist up. If there is a background, it is a rather vague rendition of her house, which is said to be at the edge of the world. This probably explains why so many of the portraits show Nienna’s robes billowing in the wind, or her hair being blown into / from her face: winds are usually associated with desolate beaches, as is the edge of the world.
Colours
The most distinct feature in most illustrations concerning Nienna is the colour scheme that is used. There are generally three types of colours that are used: blue, grey and purple. We find all these colours in atalante_star’s heraldic Nienna-themed abstract.
This shouldn’t be a surprise: blue is usually associated with calm, tranquillity and comfort. Grey is a colour of mourning, the non-colour of fogs and graveyards.
Purple is a special colour, because it is (although almost imperceptibly) present in the dusk. This is – strangely enough, because it is a little-known fact - related to the idea of Nienna being the ‘Queen of Night’ and ‘Queen of Shadows’ in early drafts of the Valaquenta, when she was still called Fui. Tolkien abandoned this idea, but Nienna still lives on the outer rim of the world, as symbolic of dust as anything.
Daniel Govar – Nienna
And finally, my personal favourite representation. Devoid of colour connotations, Govar presents not the beautiful greyish cliché, but a crying creature with organic eyeing attributes in her hair and what looks like a key on her arm, a reference to her dubious relationship with the Music. This Nienna is pale, frail and slender, but at the same time she looks like a genuine part of nature. The only truly iconic element is the windswept hair…
Enjoy!
research atalante_star & Figwit
The Realm of Nienna is a community of wonderful people. We are the Weepers, whose tears are like gentle rain that washes away the scars from Arda. Niennites are known for their compassion for all, as well as steadfastness, wisdom and calm natures. Members will seek to help any that need it, providing solace, insight and fortitude.
You should be warned that, on occasion, you may hear the sounds of horses hoofs when you enter our Realm. We seem to attract horse lovers and riders. The Rohirrim of Nienna.
Three Niennites express their love of the Realm, of LotR and all things Tolkien.
[font=papyrus][size=3] Rebecca_C[/size][/font]
The first thing that I want to say is a big thank-you to everyone in Nienna for voting me in as Leader nearly five months ago and for accepting that I was new to the job and would make mistakes. Special thanks to Rose, our Realm Head, and Magoleth, who was the other leader during my first term, for looking after me and pointing me in the right direction. How long did you spend on MSN that night trying to teach me what to do?
The thing I love most about Nienna, and the reason why I've not been anywhere else in the last three years, is the people. Of course we always get new people in and sometimes people drift off the Realm and CoE, but I've never yet met anyone I didn't like or who hasn't been really friendly, caring and helpful to any newbies. I had to leave for a few months because of computer problems last year, and I was welcomed back like I'd only been away for a weekend. It's been the same for anyone else who comes back after time off; even if someone has been away for a long time and some of the newer members don't know them, everyone is really inviting, pointing out the popular threads and just doing the simple things that make us feel like we'd never been away. This makes welcoming people easier because it's not just the Leaders and Head who do it, it seems so much more sincere from everyone else as well. Read more from Rebecca_C ~ here
[font=papyrus][size=3] Magoleth[/size][/font]
How to explain my addiction to Tolkien is something I don’t know if I can convey to anyone. I have been an avid reader all of my life but had never read The Professor! Why I do not know!
I had heard about the making of the Fellowship of the Ring and I went to see it with my daughter and was quite impressed both with the movie and the story and decided to look forward to the next movie. Along came The Two Towers and again I went to see the movie with my daughter and was even more impressed, if that is possible. Then one year later the third and final movie was coming out and I still was not “hooked.” Can you imagine that?
I borrowed the DVDs from my son and re-watched the Fellowship and my heart warmed, I borrowed The Two Towers and I was beginning to burn, then I went to see The Return of the King and I melted into floods of tears. I went home and borrowed the books from my son, who had read them but never encouraged me to do so. How can I forgive him for that? The Hobbit I read in just over 24 hours and then I started on the Fellowship, swiftly followed by The Two Towers and then Return of the King. I went and bought the Silmarillion, closely followed by Unfinished Tales and – yes you’ve guessed it - I was hooked!
Why? Find out more from Magoleth ~ here
[font=papyrus][size=3] AinarialPalantir[/size][/font]
I didn’t find LotR before I first went to see the Fellowship of the Ring by one Peter Jackson. But after that I had to read the LotR, read the Hobbit, watch the Two Towers, read the Silmarillion, read the LotR again… By the time the RotK came to the theatres I took the last, crucial step by joining the Council of Elrond and there was no going back. My life had changed.
When I joined the CoE I hesitated for a while to join a realm but joining the Realm of Nienna has turned out to be probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Before joining the CoE I had never talked with people online and I felt very shy when I first hung around the forums. But in the Realm I got such a warm welcome and with less people I felt more comfortable and I started to participate and post more in CoE altogether. One almost totally new thing I learned because I joined Nienna is writing. I dared to step inside the Purple Duck Pub and slowly I actually got the hang of it and learned a bit how to write. And of course while writing more my English skills have improved and even though I still can’t complain about too creative brains I can say I’ve learned to use a bit that little imagination I have by writing.
But of course the best thing that my Realm and participating there has brought, are the people. My friends, who are the basis of everything I’ve gotten from my Realm. So many times they have comforted me when I’ve been sad, so many times I’ve laughed with tears in my eyes with them and it’s great to share sometimes fun and sometimes serious thoughts with so many different people. And being in my Realm and meeting all these wonderful people actually threw me almost on the other side of the world to meet one of them. Altogether being part of the CoE and the Realm of Nienna has given me much but first of all I got a place where I can spend time with friends, a home.
[font=papyrus][size=3]Nienna Socks it to You[/size][/font]
Socks, socks, socks!! Niennites have a fondness for socks, mostly for munching on, especially those who frequent the FE Room. Lol!! Never knew there were actual 'facts' about socks, but surf the web and you will probably come up with something. here are a few to get your toes into.
1. Albert Einstein liked his feet naked, so he stopped wearing socks. Was Albert a closet Hobbit??
2. The word sock comes from the Latin word soccus, a type of low-heeled, loose-fitting shoe or slipper used by the Greeks and Roman comedians. It passed through Old English socc and Middle-English socke. The Latin word may have come from the Ancient Greek sukkhos, a Phrygian shoe and before that from an Asian language.
3. Greeks wore their soccuses on their feet, under their sandals, and as modern day people do, they took their sandals off and walked around their houses in their soccuses.
4. In Western culture one of a pair of socks inevitably disappears, usually during washing and drying. Some explanations for this phenomena are:
a) Wormholes open in the dryer, sucking the socks to a different part of the universe.
b) Socks are the larval form of the coathanger, hence too few socks and too many coathangers.
c) Socks are cannibals, but only eat their mates.
5. It is also a strange fact that disposing of a lonesome sock usually guarantees that its long-lost mate will re-appear the next day!
6. Sock Idioms
i) To put a sock in it : Telling someone to be quiet. This derives from the early days of sound reproduction and radio broadcasts when controlling the volume emitting from the large horns was virtually non-existent. A sock was stuffed into the mouth of the horn and the volume was reduced considerably, hence the saying.
ii) To knock your socks off : To astound someone, rock them on their heels.
7. And finally, a horse-related fact pertaining to the white markings on a horse’s legs, known as socks. Some consider four white ‘socks’ to be unlucky in the horse world. The old saying goes:
One white sock, buy him
Two white socks, try him
Three white socks, be on the sly
Four white socks, pass him by.
8. Socks are also delicious to eat and are very useful for what ails you.
[font=papyrus][size=3] Rosearialelven:[/size][/font] I registered with The Council of Elrond in December 2003, a first time adventure for me as I had never joined anything on the internet before. In 2004 I heard there was to be a Lord of the Rings convention in Manchester, my home town. I joined the Organizers site ~ getting brave now ~ and there became acquainted with a very nice lady. I encouraged her to join CoE, which she did, and then coaxed her into our Realm. We arranged our first meeting in April 2004, at a café in Manchester. I worried in case I would not recognise her, but my worries were soon eased as I saw her sitting at a table reading what else but Tolkien. It is a wonderful moment when you first meet a fellow CoEr and have someone, in person, to share your love of Tolkien, his books and the movies and I was not disappointed in my newly found friend, Magoleth. We have become firm friends and see each other on a regular basis.
In October 2004, Bellemaine, another Niennite and friend, was to visit the UK to celebrate her sister’s wedding in Scotland. The opportunity to meet another CoE member was just to wonderful to miss and I was delighted when she accepted my invitation to stay with me at my home and we cemented our friendship. She flew into Manchester International Airport, where I waited to meet her, anticipation and excitement abound. I knew her instantly as she came into view ~ she was carrying a staff!! Belle’s RP character/alter ego is an Istar, friend of Gandalf and sister to Radagast. What delight to finally meet. We enjoy chatting on Sundays, on MSN, with other members of Nienna and the Fans Over Forty thread, to write our RP The Reunion.
And more was to come, when in 2005, Magoleth and I met Istarnie, yes you guessed ~ also from Nienna, in the town of Garstang in the Lake District. We had a more than enjoyable day wandering round the town and along the Lancastrian Canal, chatting about Tolkien, his works and we found a rather middle-earthish pub and a boat named Shadowfax. Three Niennites
Another meeting that will stay with me, is a day in Manchester and lunch with PotbellyHairyfoot, Happy_Hobbit and Morwenna this July. Morwenna and I had arranged to meet with PB and Happy_Hobbit in Waterstone’s Book Shop, in the Tolkien section. Well, where else. We waited and felt sure we were being eyed suspiciously as we were there quite some little while. Lol!! Had we missed our friends! We even smiled at one or two gentlemen, who gave us strange looks. Well, they could have been PB. Finally, the moment arrived and PB was there. He and Happy_Hobbit had been waiting upstairs in the small café. The Manchester weather was good to us, we had a delicious meal and were even treated to a parade in Albert Square, under the grandeur of Manchester Town Hall. Of course, Morwenna and I had arranged it all. Lol!! 4 Mods.
I have made so many lovely friends in my time on CoE and in the Realm of Nienna, that have enriched my life, including members on the Fans over Forty thread in The Prancing Pony. A wonderful group of people who share their day-to-day activities, woes, blows and laughter. My life would be that much emptier if it were not for The Council of Elrond and the Realm of Nienna.
[font=papyrus][size=3] AinarielPalantir:[/size][/font] I met Frodos_Cat aka Kitty in the Realm of Nienna almost three years ago. She felt like a very nice person and talking with her confirmed that she is, and that we actually are quite much alike. After a while I started thinking that it would be nice to meet her but it seemed like a very distant idea and hard to arrange because quite much time and money would be needed for a trip from Finland to California. But last fall I started to think that I’m actually in a situation where the time would be actually quite easily arranged and when I checked the flight prices which were surprisingly decent, it all started suddenly seem quite doable. When Kitty told she was able to arrange free time too and that I could stay with her, I bought the tickets and started to plan and wait for the next spring.
Then last May I finally flew to USA. I first spent a week sightseeing San Francisco and from there I took the bus to Redding. After eight hours of travelling I finally started to get closer and I started to feel a bit nervous. How would she be like in real life? Would we still get along when we would actually spend time together? The bus station was almost empty and with her Kitty shirt there was no doubt who the person was I was supposed to meet. And after the first hour I knew we would get along great and that we would have a wonderful two weeks together.
During the next days I saw beautiful lakes and rivers, mountains, caverns, a waterfall, a volcanic park, as well as the city of Redding. The next week we drove to the coast to see the giant red trees and the beautiful small coast towns. Everything I saw was so wonderful and special that at times I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to actually be there and see all that. And that I was able share those things with a good friend. When we weren’t sightseeing we went to the mall, to the movies, drooled over Karl or watched LotR. What a pleasure it was finally to watch the movies with someone as obsessed as I am and without comments like “who was he again?” And finally I had someone to talk to who understood all my random comments connected to LotR and who didn’t get tired of talking about it.
But too soon the day came to go home. And instead of feeling the normal joy of going back home I felt more like leaving home behind. Those two weeks are without a doubt the best ones of my life and mostly because I had finally met the kind of friend I had hoped to have. So despite of the huge distance between us we will certainly meet again. And to think that I got to experience all this because of a movie called Lord of the Rings and a Realm in a certain website… I think that’s just amazing. AinarielPalantir and Frodos_Cat
[font=papyrus][size=3] Character of the Month[/size][/font] ~ by Figwit
For most of us, long-time readers and lovers of all things Tolkien, it's fairly easy to pick a favourite character. It may even be easy to explain why you like it so much, or summarise his/her/its qualities and character. And if you write as much as I do, you tend to end up becoming predictable – even (especially) to yourself.
The challenge, then, is to revisit this character you know and love so well, and look at it from a different angle. The catch is of course finding this angle: how can you find another point of view than your own? Is it possible to look at something through somebody else's eyes? How do you know you're not just looking through your own...?
Because it's been a while since I wrote anything longer than a post in the forum or a weird interview with Naurlas, I was excited about writing something about my favourite character. Until I thought about it a second time, and then a third, and realised .. hey, I have nothing left to say. I said everything I ever wanted or needed to say before, and probably much better than I could now. Slightly discouraged, I started looking for a new angle, but found only more things I'd already done, sights I'd already beheld, words I'd already written down time and time again.
But then it hit me. The clue was in the people I'm writing it for: the lovely people of the Realm of Nienna. And the question that was suddenly raised was: How does my favourite character fit into the whole 'Nienna' picture? Is my beloved Boromir, because of course that's what this is all about, Nienna enough to be featured in her Newsletter?
Let's investigate... Follow Figwit’s fascinating feature ~ here
 [font=papyrus][size=2] ATALANTE_STAR[/size][/font] ~ interviewed by Figwit:
Let's start with an age-old philosophical question that you won't be able to answer, but I'd love to see you struggle with: what are you?
Who said I won't be able to answer it? Huh?!
I'm about 75% water, mixed up with some proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals ... oh, you meant philosophically? Um. Ok.
What am I? What is anyone? A congregate of cells knitted together in such a way as to make a body and a mind? Or something more? A sense of self that transcends biology? Is *self* the bits that turn the mind from chemicals and molecules into an amazing organ that can do more than the fastest computers and feel more deeply than ever imaginable? Or is *self* beyond even that, a connection to the earth around us or whatever spiritual realm we choose to believe in? Meh. When I find out, I'll let you know.
We *are* all star dust though ...
What does the figure of Nienna symbolise to you? Is she someone you can relate to?
Yes, very much. To me she is a symbol of hope as well as a symbol of the beauty and necessity of grief. Someone that shows that grief and sadness is necessary – but also that sadness is healing and allows us to go beyond grief into life again.
Find out more about what make atalante tick here
[font=papyrus][size=3]For the love of Trent[/size][/font]
Some people may wonder about my obsession with a man called Trent Reznor. Some may wonder who Trent Reznor is – if that's the case, look at the links at the bottom of this article. What? You don't want to know?! *roars* Others may think that the world of Elves, Balrogs and talking foxes that is represented by 'The Lord of the Rings' and in which I have always been deeply immersed, is simply light years away from the sex, drugs, decay & tan shorts that Nine Inch Nails evoke.
Allow me to explain: Trent Reznor, ladies and gentlemen, is also a huge fan of 'The Lord of the Rings'. Of course he will never admit this in public, because it would certainly damage his image of a serious, dark, depressed, slightly unstable rock god. However, throughout his oeuvre, there are several reference to be found to the works of professor Tolkien.
How much of a coincidence is it, for instance, that his band name (which has no other member than he himself and a couple of his more talented slaves) has the number 9 in it? Were there no 9 'fellows' in the Fellowship of the Ring? And how many kings of Men were turned into Ringwraiths by Sauron, huh? Exactly: 9!
Moreover, how many nails do both Frodo and Sauron have? 9! And how long is one nail? An inch! Discover more Trent ~ here
[font=papyrus][size=2]POTBELLYHAIRYFOOT[/size][/font] ~ interviewed by Rosearialelven
How did you find COE and what in particular made you join? In 2001, while I was recuperating from a ruptured quadriceps tendon and not able to get around, I joined Decipher' LOTR Fan Club. Their format left me unsatisfied so I started searching for a better Tolkien site. I found a few interesting sites and finally found CoE in July 2002. The sites setup, forum organization, friendly and informative staff , and rapidly growing membership and content piqued my interest so I joined CoE then , and I never looked back.
Had you read the books before seeing the Movies?
I first read LOTR in 1972, and I've read it at least once per year ever since. Find out more about CoE’s Grandpa ~ here
Niennites enjoy creating and here is just a taste of that creativity. We are also good at keeping house and cooking, it seems.
E-Cards: lanfear; Griffin; Rebecca_C; Aegor
Bookmarks: Viggo by SeenZ; Karl by AinarielPalantir; Liv & Elijah by Lozadora
Wallpapers: Viggo by Magoleth
Recipes and Household Tips: Sizzling Sauron’s Supper; Legolas’s Cool Fruit Mist; Household Tips in and out of Middle-earth Scroll down this Last Homely House page to see tips from Rosearialelven, Morwenna and Magoleth.
[font=papyrus][size=2] MAGOLETH[/size][/font] ~ The Faerie Godmother of Nienna caught in an off duty moment.
This is roving Snaga #3, your friendly Orc gossipmonger. Whilst passing through the little hamlet of Boggle-in-the-Marsh last Tuesday, I decided to pay a visit to Magoleth, the Faerie Godmother of Nienna, to tell her of the rumour I had heard that she was to be Nienna Member of the Month.
I tapped lightly on the door with my portable Grond and stood back. What remained of the door, creaked open, hanging precariously on one hinge. “Greetings, dear lady,” I said stepping forward, carefully avoiding the large pieces of splintered wood. “Did you know you were to be Nienna Member of ….” I didn’t get to finish the sentence, as she disappeared from view. ‘Hmmm,‘ I thought, ‘up to her faerie tricks!’ But no, she was in a heap on the floor. I helped her up, sat her at a table and gave her a cup of tea. As she fanned herself with her Wand, she kept changing in front of my eyes . One minute she was a frog , then a handsome Prince, then Legolas, and finally Sam!
‘More personalities than Gollum’ I mused, rolling my eyes. “I just have a few questions,” I said as she tucked her wand in her belt.
Follow the link to find out what the Orc gossipmonger snagged from Magoleth. ~ here
Although known as Weepers, Niennites are not strangers to fun and laughter. There are approximately 23 games on Nienna’s Games Forum, some more popular than others, but at one time or another, all get their fair share of posters. They range from Trivia quizzes to a level of moderate craziness. Lol. We have a Caption Contest to exercise our funny bones, and probably the most popular of all the games is ‘Forth Eorlingas’ This consists of every post with a ‘5’ or a ‘0’ having the poster shout ‘Forth Eorlingas’. It is lovingly called the FE thread. It sounds simple, but confusion reigns in there with the numbers. Lol. Read on to learn the intricacies of gaining this most coveted of prizes.
[font=papyrus][size=3]By SeenZ:[/size][/font]
Every Niennite visits the FE thread almost daily. The FE thread is where we share our news, poke one another and eat chocolate socks. And wait for the FEs, of course Everybody wants an FE, and why wouldn't they? They're nice and shiny, and what's better than chasing after an FE on a bright Tuesday morning? This guide explains the various methods on how to catch an FE, so start your collection today!
1) The Lurking Method
How to - Sneak into a corner of the FE room and wait for the FE to come floating by. Then jump out, snatch it away before anyone else does, and go back to your corner. Repeat as needed.
Popularity - Very high
Success rate - 91.33%
Main reasons for failure - Lurker falling asleep on a quiet day, two or more lurkers colliding when trying to grab the FE, lurker giving him/her self away by lighting a fire to keep warm.
2) Type Your Way to an FE
How to - Practice daily... duh. Type the alphabet. And the states of the USA. And gibberish.
Popularity - Medium
Success rate - 42.11%
Main reasons for failure - There's always someone faster.
3) Intuition - Trust Yourself
How to - If your brain suddenly tells you, "I think there might be a FE waiting...", drop whatever you're doing, run to the nearest computer, push the person at the computer away, and rush to the FE room. If there is an FE waiting, take it, smile, give yourself a pat on the back, apologize to whoever you push and kicked out of your way, and return to whatever you were doing. If there's no FE, hit yourself on the head, mutter things under your breath and stay away from other people.
Popularity - Medium
Success rate - 5.87%
Main reasons for failure - Usually, your brain is just trying to add some excitement to your day or trying to get you to do some exercise.
4) Logic!
How to - The total number of Niennites, their time zones, the number of Niennites who are online, and their time zones, the average number of FEs earned in a weekday and the average number of FEs earned during a weekend... put all these into different mathematical formulae and you're bound to get one that tells you when each FE will come by each day!
Popularity - Low
Success rate - -nil-
Main reasons for failure - Nobody has discovered the correct formula yet... I quit trying long ago...
PS: If you do find it, will you please call 555-7863 and tell Jack that I was right!
[size=2]5) The Paid Substitute Way [/size]
How to - Employ a substitute to lurk in the FE room. Whenever an FE comes by, the substitute will contact you and you can add another FE to your hoard!
Popularity - Surprisingly low
Success rate - 13.13%
Main reasons for failure - Substitutes soon learn that FEs are better than money...
6) Stay Close … Very Close
How to - Pack up your stuff (though don't take too much) and move into a free corner of the FE room. This method is much better than lurking, and enables you to grab almost every FE that comes along!
Popularity - Very high - nil
Success rate - 91.35%
Main reasons for failure - All seven corners of the FE room are filled.
7) The Get-an-FE-Today Spell
How to - Crush one mango leaf dried on the third Friday of the summer of the 49213rd leap year into 5.71 ounce of kiwi juice. Draw a circle on your forehead with this mixture, site cross-legged inside a circle of lit red candles, and recite "There's an FE in my coffee" 83 times. You're guaranteed to get an FE within 10 minutes!
Popularity - Low
Success rate - -nil-
Main reasons for failure - Nobody has been patient enough to recite the magic words 83 times... lazy people!
The Niennite Partnership method
How to - Make sure another Niennite is online, and work together towards your FE! Repeat as often as needed.
Popularity - Very high
Success rate - 100%
Main reasons for failure - -nil- 'Cos all Niennites are lovely and generous!
Note: If none of the above work for you, you can always depend on Lady Luck!
[font=papyrus][size=3] A bit more fun:[/size][/font]
Ten Songs for Summer ~ by Magoleth
“Green Green Grass of Home” by United Water Utilities
“Raindrops keep falling on my Head” by The Weather Man
“Fire Starter” by The Smoke Jumpers
“Ice Ice Baby” by British Summer Time
“Sunshine on my Shoulder” by Factor 35
“Cool Water” by The Ice Cubes
“Walking on Sunshine” by Hot Feet
“Cool for Cats” by The Hot Dogs
“Itchy Coo Park” by Heat Rash
“Rain, Rain Rain” by the Ministry of Drought
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[font=papyrus][size=3] Nazguls’ Niggles[/size][/font] ~ A Parody by lanfear
Seven of the Nine Ringwraiths had arrived and were desperately trying to keep their robes from flapping away in the strong wind that was always blowing across the face of Barad-dûr.
“Thesssse robessss are very impractical you know.” hissed one of the huddled shapes
“Here we go again. The same complaint for a thousand years; every single time we’ve stood up here in this breeze.” muttered another one of the anonymous hoods to the murmured agreement of another “and only the Dark Lord knows why he insists on using that hissing voice when there’s no-one around to be frightened by it; that’s only for show really.”
One of the hoods turned towards the complainer (presumably with a questioning expression but who can really tell when there’s no face to speak of) “We tried your clothing suggestion once, remember? That was the only time I had to use my “Evil ‘R Us Corporation” identity card to prove my evilness! I do not care for a repeat of any ‘sensible and sturdy clothing’. We cannot project any sort of fear with that and the general aim of our black robes is to be menacing before we even hiss a word! Idiot, be quiet until the others are here. Then we’ll go see what He’s got for us to ride this time.”
“I really hope this time is better than those giant Crebain he bred for us last year.” said another Ringwraith just as he arrived, “The accursed things couldn’t fly under their own weight. I can still hear the splat when the first one launched itself off of the Tower and just dropped straight down. Although I seem to recall that there was a feast of something like chicken that night, so it’s probably not all bad.”
“Well it can’t be assss bad assss thosssse giant rat thingssss” came from the constant complainer ”we all looked absssolutely ridiculousss on and those really odd wormsssss that burrowed under the ground while I was sssstill trying to ride it and never came back again leaving me to climb out of a fifty-foot hole.”
“Or those Wargs” chimed in another voice, “those ones that never obeyed any orders from anyone that ate an entire formation of Orcs before the Dark Lord chained them up again. I hear he keeps them tied to that throne he had made and threatens the Orcs by taking them on something he calls ‘walkies’ around the encampments.”
“We were finally onto a winner with those horses;” remarked a wistful sounding voice from the back, “no strange mutations, just your average horse with a bit of extra evil added. Those red bits of material we could put over their eyes for that evil glow were an absolute winner as well.”
“Well” said the Witch-King as he strode towards the others (late as usual because he does enjoy a dramatic entrance), “seeing as we were the ones who managed to get them drowned I reckon we shouldn’t be mentioning them to the Dark Lord. In fact, we should probably just accept it and ride whatever hideous freaks he has managed to create this time. Otherwise those smug gits, the Mouth and his lackeys, will probably be getting our Rings and we’ll be cast into whatever hellish place he can think of; probably Troll-washing duties. Seeing as we’re all here now we’ll have to go and see Him. Remember everyone- even if it’s a flying lizard with atrocious breath we’ve all got to act as if it’s the best thing in the world!”
[font=papyrus][size=3]The Magic Words [/size][/font] ~ as devised by Ulmo and the gauntlet is taken up…..(Four words are given to the next realm, listed in bold in the last line of the poem. They should be used to write a short bit about characters and/or events on Arda, which in the end should contain the following four words so that the next realm could pick up the challenge.
Luthen and Beren ~ By Griffin
In the sky the stars were revealed
Where they hidden were by day
Glowed about the feet that reeled
And danced merry on their way
For Luthien and Beren met
And their dreaming did unfold
In bright hearts their love was set
And sorrows were yet untold
About the groves and woods they danced
With tireless feet and free
Ever a non their eyes glanced
And then sing again would she
And birds then from their nest arose
Sung as Beren saw the light
In eyes bright and him had chose
In the fleeting dream of night
Onward now the challenge goes
May your Muses give you sight
And with these verses grows
Stone, sun, gleam and night
Accolades and Huge Thankyous for time most generously given and patience with the poking, nudging and badgering.:
To Aegor for his time given and indeterminable hard work in producing of our very own 'Nienna News' 
To Griffin for the talented bounty of banners. Seven here showing, but a heap more just itching to be free
To Figwit for allowing us to share all that is Trent and Boromir
To Figwit and atalante_star for their brilliant insight into Nienna in words, art and illustrations
To Magoleth for her unwavering enthusiasm and encouragement
To Rebecca_C, SeenZ, AinarielPalantir and lanfear for their inspired and wonderful contributions.
To Morwenna for her invaluable assistance with links
To Karamy for the kind use of her website to link to 'Nienna News'
And to [b]all the Niennites who make the Realm of Nienna such a special place.[/b] :hug:
Other banners by ~ SeenZ and Rosearialelven.
A bell chimes somewhere in the distance and the great doors of Mandos’s halls are closing. It is time to say farewell and depart. However long it may be before you return to the Halls of Mandos, rest assured that Nienna will be waiting for you. We hope you enjoyed our Newsletter.
[font=papyrus][size=3]Nan lû i agovaded vîn, cuio vae[/size][/font] (Until next we meet, live well)
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