LOTR from a gamer's perspective

[Hussar]

(1) Sauron would have noticed it, sent the Nazgul to intervene, and gotten the Ring.

(2) The person with the Ring (assuming that Frodo wasn't flying Air Gwahair) proclaims the Ring his before reaching Mordor. Sauron notices it, and sends the Nazgul.

(3) The person with the Ring proclaims the Ring his at the Fire, Gollum isn't there, Sauron notices it, and sends the Nazgul.

RC

Just to tweak RC's nose. Gandalf summons his pokemount Shadowfax, plops the ring in a saddlebag, sends it back to the celestial realms, turns to the left and incinerates Merry in a brilliant ball of fire, thus costing himself his summonable mount ability (replacement level from Dragon) and the ring resides forevermore out of the reach of Sauron. And the peasants rejoice.

On the idea of eagles. Well, it has been pointed out that we have this nice dark cloudcover, so, we load up Frodo on an eagle, send him out just below the cloudcover (not a chance he'll be spotted) and flies over Mt. Doom. Sauron doesn't notice it for the same reason he didn't notice it before - no one puts it on.

One of three things happen:

Frodo drops the ring, it falls into the lava, Sauron is defeated and the peasants rejoice.

Frodo proclaims the ring his, the giant eagle does a sharp bank, deposting both the halfling and the ring into Mt Doom, Sauron is defeated and the peasants rejoice.

Frodo proclaims the ring his, giant eagle folds his wings, dives at several hundred miles per hour, does an Ellen Ripley into the lava with Frodo and the Ring, Sauron is defeated and the peasants rejoice.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Just to tweak RC's nose. Gandalf summons his pokemount Shadowfax, plops the ring in a saddlebag, sends it back to the celestial realms, turns to the left and incinerates Merry in a brilliant ball of fire, thus costing himself his summonable mount ability (replacement level from Dragon) and the ring resides forevermore out of the reach of Sauron. And the peasants rejoice.

Only if you accept that pokemounts exist in LotR, pal. And, unlike some yahoos, I do not.

On the idea of eagles. Well, it has been pointed out that we have this nice dark cloudcover, so, we load up Frodo on an eagle, send him out just below the cloudcover (not a chance he'll be spotted) and flies over Mt. Doom. Sauron doesn't notice it for the same reason he didn't notice it before - no one puts it on.

Except that Frodo and Sam have to creep into Mordor because Sauron is expecting a frontal assault....and the heavy cloud cover doesn't affect the vision of his Eye.

One of three things happen:

Frodo drops the ring, it falls into the lava, Sauron is defeated and the peasants rejoice.

Frodo proclaims the ring his, the giant eagle does a sharp bank, deposting both the halfling and the ring into Mt Doom, Sauron is defeated and the peasants rejoice.

Frodo proclaims the ring his, giant eagle folds his wings, dives at several hundred miles per hour, does an Ellen Ripley into the lava with Frodo and the Ring, Sauron is defeated and the peasants rejoice.

Excepting that neither Frodo nor the eagle have the power to cause intentional harm to the Ring. Frodo couldn't even toss it into his fireplace back in the Shire, if you recall.

 

[cildarith]

I'm sure he would have incinerated Pippin first - but that might not be sufficient to keep the horse from coming back...

 

[Raven Crowking]

I'm sure he would have incinerated Pippin first - but that might not be sufficient to keep the horse from coming back...

In LotR, Pippin is a "Holy Fool", moved by forces he doesn't understand to do things that seem godawful stupid at the time, but in retrospect are seen to be very important and/or the "right" thing to do. Ex: When Pippen touched the palantir, he coincidently convinced Sauron that Saruman had captured the Ringbearer and was torturing him at Orthanc. Sauron therefore diverted his Nazgul, sending them to Orthanc to recover the Ring. When the Nazgul discovered Orthanc overthrown, Sauron believed the Ring was taken to Gondor, and threw his might against the city. This, in turn, made it easier (possible, even) for Frodo and Sam to sneak into Mordor.

Even awakening the Balrog did good; it allowed Gandalf to fall and rise again as the head of his order.


RC