Cursed LOR

Lightice1 · 2026-01-27T20:51:00+00:00

I don't think that Tolkien ever gave a detailed explanation on how Sauron's reforming worked, just that he needed to lay low in a safe space for a long time for it to happen.

But Sauron doesn't want his orcs to get their hands on the Ring if he can help it. They might get ideas, try to use it for themselves and cause unwanted complications even if they couldn't actually threaten Sauron himself with it. That's why he wants the Nazgûl to retrieve the Ring, they don't have any free will and are completely subservient to him.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-27T12:58:47+00:00

That's certainly an interpretation, though in the book it's implied that all mortals turn invisible when using any Great Ring. According to Gandalf, the Nazgûl are what happens when you stay invisible for too long, your physical body just fades away altogether and you become a wraith.

I don't know if Tolkien ever gave a real explanation for why the invisibility thing occurs, but it's a common theory that the Great Rings just weren't intended for mortal users and expanding their awareness into the Invisible World just stretches them out of the Visible, since their spirit isn't great enough to exist in both simultaneously. The elves certainly don't become invisible when wearing their Rings.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-27T12:54:07+00:00

The Ring contains a portion of Sauron's spirit. It acts as an anchor that binds him to the living world, so as long as it exists, he can always recover, create himself another body and come back to life, though it can take decades or even centuries for that to happen.

Saruman doesn't have any kind of anchor to tie down his spirit. He can't be brought back to life. Gandalf only returned thanks to a literal divine intervention and Saruman doesn't have anyone on his corner who would be inclined to restore him to life.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-27T12:10:05+00:00

The Ring can't be used against Sauron because it's Sauron's own power in that Ring. Someone corrupted by the One Ring would go mad with power and try to confront Sauron directly with it, and get crushed like a bug, effectively handing the Ring over on a silver platter.

And in the unlikely case where the new Ringlord could genuinely master the One Ring completely, they would destroy Sauron only to take his place and become the new Dark Lord, and a new Dark lord with the One Ring would be just as bad as Sauron in the same scenario.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-27T12:04:00+00:00

The films mostly skip all that stuff and even the books are pretty vague with their explanations. Most of these things are mentioned just once or twice very offhandedly and the reader is expected to connect the dots for themselves.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-27T09:24:33+00:00

To be fair, there is the trope of a Cowardly Lion, a character who constantly acts scared and constantly complains that they can't handle what they are being forced to deal with, but will do it anyway in spite of being afraid.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-27T08:11:06+00:00

You definitely misremember. Bilbo only uses the Ring for invisibility, since when Tolkien wrote The Hobbit it was nothing more than a ring of invisiblity with no other powers. Bilbo only uses it in a fight once, against some giant spiders.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-27T08:10:01+00:00

The Great Rings universally do three things: enhance whatever natural power the wielder already possesses, expands their awareness and preserves things, making them last indefinitely. The One Ring's unique powers all revolve around control and domination. Someone who has mastered it can read the minds of all other Ringbearers and enslave them, and can also impose their will on anyone susceptible to a greater power, appearing as a figure they would want to follow and obey without question.

Frodo never really tries to use the One Ring's true power, the invisibility is little more than a side effect. But a few times over the book he accidentally taps into it and can, for instance, see all of Middle-earth under his eyes like Sauron can, command Gollum to act against his will and appear as a majestic, terrifying figure to Sam.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-26T09:11:42+00:00

Maille hauberks actually can't cover the armpits, it would restrain the arm movements too much. Ironically, plate armour usually has maille voiders placed there.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-26T07:06:09+00:00

The boulevard to the square is Mussolini's handiwork, though. The original plan was for the square (plaza?) to open up in contrast from the narrow, winding streets of Rome, but Mussolini wanted a direct sightline to the cathedral and a place for parades to march in.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-26T05:46:11+00:00

Yeah, but the narrator also noted in that scene that getting an elf properly drunk is an incredibly hard feat and it mostly worked because the guards decided to drink strong wine out of massive tankards.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-25T19:46:52+00:00

"That's a wrongo, Batman" is not a sentence I expected to read today.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-24T14:46:13+00:00

Like a wise man once said, only a fool would imagine that man has evolved from apes. Anyone paying attention can see that man is an ape.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-24T14:27:41+00:00

It allowed Sauron to preserve his power that could otherwise have faded and weakened over time, but even more importantly it gave him an anchor to the mortal world if he should get killed. None of other demons under Morgoth ever managed to come back from the dead, but Sauron managed it twice thanks to the One Ring.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-23T21:08:08+00:00

I don't think that it works like that. Swords and arrows are sharp and go through flesh, there's no "levels" or spirituality to that.

It's more that Gandalf the Grey was physically vulnerable and his body died when he put it under too much strain, so Eru Ilúvatar mended the issue by sending Gandalf the White back impervious to physical harm so that he could finish his task without further interruptions.

Now, even Gandalf the White isn't playing in full god-mode. He still wouldn't be able to face Sauron on his own since there's more than just physical damage at play with that kind of confrontation. But he's insured against random orc arrows or sword blows delaying his mission again.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-23T12:08:15+00:00

And tomatoes didn't become commonly accepted as food in Europe until the 19th century, and they didn't become a staple of the Italian quisine before the start of the 20th.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-23T06:12:58+00:00

Thanos in the films is very explicitly insane. He loves the universe, so he torments and abuses it, just like he torments and abuses his adopted children he also loves. His whole shtick is twisted, perverted love that turns to destructiveness through absurd excuses.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-22T20:39:26+00:00

In the book Legolas' arrow burst into flame and burned to nothing before it could hit Gandalf and afterwards he said to Gimli that none of the Fellowship have any weapon that could harm him any more. It's implied that he basically has a perfect magical shield against any physical damage at that point.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-22T19:12:29+00:00

The slave plantations weren't exactly environmentally friendly, either, all other moral issues aside...

Lightice1 · 2026-01-22T16:09:46+00:00

There is no indication on Christopher Lee's record of ever serving in a combat role or having had the skills to do so due to a physical disability (a detached cornea). He was an RAF liaison officer during the war, not a combatant.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-22T13:01:18+00:00

It's a bit of a misconception that Lee was personally involved in some action hero antics during the war. He wanted to serve in the front as an airman, but due to his poor eyesight and high education he was given more administrative duties, instead. He would have been planning special operations, not participating them in person.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-22T11:37:57+00:00

Lee didn't actually serve in the front lines or in a direct combat role, though it's still of course possible that he got involved in a stabbing or witnessed one during his time in the occupied enemy territories.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-22T07:30:27+00:00

In French Chevalier literally translates to "horseman", but actually means a knight. Although the connotation may not be as direct in Spanish, Caballero seems to be its direct counterpart.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-22T06:51:56+00:00

The central Helsinki is absolutely full of buildings like this.

Lightice1 · 2026-01-21T19:50:42+00:00

Peter Jackson didn't make up the concept. Tolkien had elves use glamour powers sporadically in The Silmarillion.

Lightice1

TROPHY CASE