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Where's the American Fantasy RPG?
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<blockquote data-quote="Marandahir" data-source="post: 8074839" data-attributes="member: 6803643"><p>They discussed it at the Council of Elrond. Someone even asked why they couldn't just give it to Tom to look after. Tom would forget about it, and then with the Ring still extant, Sauron would conquer the world, and even Tom's country would fall, even if it was the last area to do so. </p><p></p><p>That's about as equal a solution as trying to throw it into the Sea. They HAVE to destroy the Ring because there's no way to beat Sauron at force of arms. Aragorn's last stand at the Morannon is a play for time, to give Frodo and Sam more time to get to the cracks of Orodruin. There was no way to win that battle unless Sauron himself was defeated. </p><p></p><p>The eagles are messengers of Manwë (albeit mortal ones) and are bound to specific missions similarly to the Maiar Istari. They can't directly intervene like that, and Tolkien himself said they had to be used sparingly lest this question be asked by everyone. He actually was frustrated with his usage of them in The Hobbit (which itself was a reference to Thorondor bearing Húrin to Gondolin, or Gwaihir and Landroval themselves rescuing Beren & Lúthien) later on during LotR, because it meant he was caught with this eucatastrophic tool. It let him get the "happy" ending for Frodo & Sam (of which he was altogether not sure was going to be able to happen - at one point in development, Sam was going to grab the ring and jump into the fire to end it all!). But the Eagles are not beholden to any mortals, they have no fëar (and thus cannot be considered among the "Free Peoples" of Middle-earth like the Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Ents, and Hobbits) and only help Mithrandir and Aiwendil due to great respect and mutual support for each others' needs and missions. Gwaihir even tells Mithrandir at Isengard that he cannot carry him far - he was sent to bear tidings, not burdens. He only takes him as far as Edoras, where Gandalf tames the Mearas, Shadowfax, to carry him the rest of the way. But even Shadowfax returns to the Mark after getting Gandalf to Rivendell in Fellowship.</p><p></p><p>Mortal animals, no matter how long-lived like the Great Eagles, simply are not like free peoples. You might be able to convince them to help you, they might be able to talk like the Eagles, but they are driven by instinct and evolution, not by free will. These Eagles were taught the languages of the Valar and Elves and Men by Manwë and in exchange tasked with watching Morgoth and later Sauron's forces from the skies. But any ride they grant to mortals is a momentous event - they are not simply a force Gandalf can summon at will by grabbing any random moth and calling for their aid like in the movies.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I hear you there.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marandahir, post: 8074839, member: 6803643"] They discussed it at the Council of Elrond. Someone even asked why they couldn't just give it to Tom to look after. Tom would forget about it, and then with the Ring still extant, Sauron would conquer the world, and even Tom's country would fall, even if it was the last area to do so. That's about as equal a solution as trying to throw it into the Sea. They HAVE to destroy the Ring because there's no way to beat Sauron at force of arms. Aragorn's last stand at the Morannon is a play for time, to give Frodo and Sam more time to get to the cracks of Orodruin. There was no way to win that battle unless Sauron himself was defeated. The eagles are messengers of Manwë (albeit mortal ones) and are bound to specific missions similarly to the Maiar Istari. They can't directly intervene like that, and Tolkien himself said they had to be used sparingly lest this question be asked by everyone. He actually was frustrated with his usage of them in The Hobbit (which itself was a reference to Thorondor bearing Húrin to Gondolin, or Gwaihir and Landroval themselves rescuing Beren & Lúthien) later on during LotR, because it meant he was caught with this eucatastrophic tool. It let him get the "happy" ending for Frodo & Sam (of which he was altogether not sure was going to be able to happen - at one point in development, Sam was going to grab the ring and jump into the fire to end it all!). But the Eagles are not beholden to any mortals, they have no fëar (and thus cannot be considered among the "Free Peoples" of Middle-earth like the Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Ents, and Hobbits) and only help Mithrandir and Aiwendil due to great respect and mutual support for each others' needs and missions. Gwaihir even tells Mithrandir at Isengard that he cannot carry him far - he was sent to bear tidings, not burdens. He only takes him as far as Edoras, where Gandalf tames the Mearas, Shadowfax, to carry him the rest of the way. But even Shadowfax returns to the Mark after getting Gandalf to Rivendell in Fellowship. Mortal animals, no matter how long-lived like the Great Eagles, simply are not like free peoples. You might be able to convince them to help you, they might be able to talk like the Eagles, but they are driven by instinct and evolution, not by free will. These Eagles were taught the languages of the Valar and Elves and Men by Manwë and in exchange tasked with watching Morgoth and later Sauron's forces from the skies. But any ride they grant to mortals is a momentous event - they are not simply a force Gandalf can summon at will by grabbing any random moth and calling for their aid like in the movies. I hear you there. [/QUOTE]
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