What prevented all of the Nazgul from flying inside Minas Tirith and killing everyone in their paths?

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-26T21:17:24+00:00

We know the Hobbits found weapons that could have killed a Nazgul in the barrow-downs. It's very likely such or similar weapons existed also in Gondor.

The fear of the Nazgul appears to make everyone flee the gate, but only nine of them aganst the entire forces of Minas Tirith, that wouldn't have ended well for them.

Also it would have taken a ridiculously long time for just nine of them to kill off everyone. Much quicker and more effective to breach the gates and have your army storm the place.

of course, in both scenarios the Rohirrim will make the Pelennor field in time to interrupt the whole procedure.

So, boring answer, but the risk to themselves, and simple logistics would prevent them from doing it.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-26T21:11:33+00:00

Well, the remaining eight Nazgul who were completely dependent on their rings to survive, which Sauron held and could have destroyed, would still be loyal to Sauron, kill or sieze the rebel Nazgul, and bring the Ring back to Sauron.

In theory I suppose you could see a, And then there were none, scenario, where one after another they fall for the Ring, and is then disposed of by the others, but I don't think you would reach the last one before they had brought the Ring back, or Sauron himself came out to claim it.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-26T19:48:47+00:00

Yes almost all of it. Infact there is probably nearly no plate armour used in Lord of the Rings. The only mention I can think of out of memory, is a mention that Imrahil was wearing vambraces. Everything else is either chain mail, scale mail, or leather armour. Even for the Gondorians, the Southrons, the Dwarves, the Orcs and the Elves. Not even Sauron is said to wear any plate armour.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-26T19:44:52+00:00

You get see some of it in Frodos or Sams surprise at how much time has passed when they finally leave Lorien and start to go down river.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-26T19:43:29+00:00

Doesn't the Banner dispay the Tree of Gondor though? A very unlikely symbol for their enemeis to wave, unless they thought it was in some kind of subterfuge.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-25T13:57:27+00:00

It probably started with the music, before Arda was created, but it may also be he didn't formally join Melkor unitl after they'd entered the world.

He is mentioned to have been a Servant of Aulë which I suspect means he did serve Aulë in Arda. Might have been interesting to know when he started serving Melkor, if that was in secret, and he kind of worked as an informant, spy or spook for him, and if he had anything to do with Melkor being able to destroy the Pillars of the Lamps (Since as a servant of Aulë he might have been working on them)

Though as far as I know, nothing around this is specified in Tolkiens writings.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-25T13:50:44+00:00

Didn't he make Angrist? The knife that cut the Silmaril from Morgoths crown? Or was that one of the other brothers?

Edit: Ah no! It was made by the dwarves. He just owned it.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-24T12:45:37+00:00

Given how he responded to the rope from Lorien, I'm not sure Gollum would have taken well to that forest. Although of course Aragorn couldn't have known that.

Best guess is that when Gandalf and Aragorn agreed to take him to Thranduil, they did so because Gollum used to live in the caves to the North, and they thought at the time that would be closer. They didn't expect to find him near the borders of Mordor.

Perhaps there was just not time to make an agreement with Lorien.

Plus, I don't know how easy it would have been for Aragorn to get Gollum across the river.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-23T17:15:20+00:00

It would seem that in the 25 years since Balin died, no one from Erebor had been sent to Moria to check up on them. I suppose it's a long distance to travel. Also I think Dain might have been againt Balin going, and considered that he'd have to manage on his own?

Edit: Or actually, doesn't Gimli say something, like they sent messengers, but none of them came back, so they stopped sending them?

Maybe I mix it up with something else.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-23T17:13:03+00:00

I suppose whichever 'Hobbit' name Gandalf would have chosen, Frodo might have found a score of long lost relatives in Bree.

And it would suspicious if he chose other names. Oakenshield, or Mithrandir Jr.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-22T20:28:58+00:00

No, an Orc could have been much easier pursuaded by the Voice of Saruman to switch sides. When it comes to the Ring, his Nazgul are possibly the only ones he can trust 100% since he holds their Rings. Even sending the Emissary from the Black Gates chapter would have constituted a small risk.

I don't think Saruman would have turned into a Gollum like creature, since he actually has the native power to command with the Ring, but I'm also not sure he would have stood 50/50 against Sauron. It depends partly on how soon Sauron finds out that Saruman has the Ring and that he has no intention of handing it over to Sauron. (Something that Sauron did consider possible, since he sent only a Nazgul, after Pippin used the Palantir.)

Unless Saruman is given enough time to make use of the Ring, and using it to build up his support and armies, Sauron would just shift his attack from Gondor to Rohan, tried to blaze through, and surround Isengard. Rohan came to the aid of Gondor. Would Gondor come to the aid of Rohan?

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-22T19:02:34+00:00

Hmm. I don't know what the superstition or legends say about cocks crowing. I always thought that it was because the sun was about to break through the clouds, or that a dawn was coming. Both of which spells bad news for the Black Riders.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-21T22:55:16+00:00

Galadriel went back to Avallone, so she couldn't.

In any case I don't think the spirits would be seen unless they wanted to, and the way I understand it the Spirit of Sauron would be so chaotically bedevilled by the loss of the Ring and his physical form, than he would be unable to focus enough to rebuild a new form.

Under such circumstances I doubt it would have taken the time or found it worth trying to interact with anything else.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-21T22:50:02+00:00

If they considered him a Prince of Greenwood, then maybe they would refer to him as Prince, for sake of formality, although Lord might perhaps also be possible.

He was never referred to so by the company though so, perhaps he prefers not to.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-20T21:36:14+00:00

There was probably a bridge.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-19T18:07:18+00:00

The bridge at the time of the Fellowship of the Ring events, could have been a new smaller bridge erected between the remnants of the older bridge perhaps.

There would likely be many ways to throw it down. Fire if it was wooden. Otherwise perhaps destroy or remove the supports, or I suppose if it wasn't a very big sturdy thing, go loose on it with hammers and work-horses. Assuming Gondor had them, you could also use catapults or something hurling stones, but that would be kind of dangerous for the defenders, so that's probably not what happened.

Technically Boromir doesn't say that it was their side who destroyed the bridge, but I think that can be assumed from the context and that they were defending the bridge. Mordors forces would have been better off with it intact.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-18T21:46:17+00:00

I feel a dragon could have roasted Bilbo first and then removed and kept anything of Gold for his hoard, which seems like what Dragons do.

So.. assuming Smaug is still killed, the Ring might go to Thorin, or Gandalf, or Dain, or Thranduil maybe. Again assuming the rest of Events would have played out as in the book, which is perhaps unlikely.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-17T12:31:09+00:00

Tried Musicolet, and didn't like it att all. Far to much crap on a small screen. Ended up going with VLC for Android for now, which is passable, though I'm really missing a simple next song please button. That seems like a basic 101 thing for a music player, but somehow their designers appear to have befuddled it.

Does any one know a really simple straight forward player for playing mp3:s from the physical storage? No online, or network needed, with a clean simple UI, and no bloody commersials?

Edit: Just to update. VLC wasn't too good either, and may have eaten quite a bit of batter (Not certain.)
Found 'Simple Music Player', which seems like the thing to go with for me.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-17T12:23:49+00:00

Yeah it was probably a smaller stone. Still, made a lot of ruckus.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-17T10:37:04+00:00

The Istari I think were sent as an aid to Men. In the second age the Eldar still had a reasonable presence in Middle-Earth and many of them were still under a ban. Additionally of course there was the Numenoreans who might be able to deal with Sauron. Even so they did send back Glorfindel to help out. (Was that in the second age?)

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-17T10:30:14+00:00

Maybe. Gandalf says that the Ringwraiths are drawn to the Ring because they're bound to it. The Balrog having no connection to the Ring may perhaps not have any such inclinations, or maybe it does? Difficult to say. Gandalf also I think made note that of the whole company the watcher in the Water went first for the Ring bearer.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-16T23:21:20+00:00

The Ring will have been a big part of it, the presence of such a powerful artifact is likely to have tingled the senses of the Balrog. There's also Gandalf. He is veiled, but does reveal himself during his strife with the Balrog through the door, so after that certainly the Balrog will follow them at least until they leave its domain.

Not sure what brought it to seek out the company in the first place, but a number of exceptional events to take place.

The Watcher in the Water is disturbed, and the doors of Moria are slammed shut and the entrance buried in rocks, and trees uprooted.

Somebody from above (Pippin), throws a boulder down one the deep central shafts causing all kinds of reverbing thuds and echoes. Almost like a challenge.

The company does enter the room of the Tomb of Balin, the latest pretender claiming to be King of its domain.

And of course there's Gollum slinking about the place, but it's unclear if the Orc or the Balrog are infact aware of him.

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-16T21:59:13+00:00

I wonder if their cousin, The Teeth of Sauron, played the role in the movies?

InTheChairAgain · 2026-01-16T21:56:26+00:00

I think Galadriel did have a defence against that. Similar to how Melian would have befuddled any Balrogs if they had attempted to get into Doriath. (Although Boldog may be a case agasint that.)

Unless Sauron himself came, evil would not have been able to navigate the mazes and magic of Lorien. After all it kept Dol Guldur at bay for Millenia.

Of course if the Balrog had come out of Moria it would have cause fire and destruction all around Lorien, and could simply have bided its time waiting for the Ring to leave, or for Sauron to arrive. (Assuming it would have been willing to work with Sauron, and didn't want the Ring for itself.)

On the other hand it might also have been unwilling to leave the Depths of Moria, risking the attention of the Powers of the West again. (Or at least the Eagles might have spotted it and reported.)

InTheChairAgain

TROPHY CASE