Thread: Obfuscated Tolkien Trivia

Originally Posted by quetzalcoatl

Finally, that last clue did it. (I think!)

I was stuck thinking it related to one of the nicknames Bilbo gives himself to the dragon "stinging fly", but it didn't fit the first part of the sentence.


Anyway, how about "Farmer Maggot"?

Yes, that's it: Farmer [profession] <no first name given> [lacuna] Maggot [looks like a fly larva, but according to Tolkien Gateway, Tolkien said it's a Hobbitish word of unknown origin, coincidentally looking like an English word].

Okay, let's try this one. I think it may have too many embedded clues to be truly obfuscated.

Sesquicentenarian corvus and conveyor of intelligence between contingents conducted by kinsman of Aule's handiwork.

Originally Posted by quetzalcoatl

Sesquicentenarian corvus and conveyor of intelligence between contingents conducted by kinsman of Aule's handiwork.

Sesquicentenarian corvus = aged crow
kinsman of Aule's handiwork = dwarves (created by Aule)

So "old Carc", one of the crows that provided information to the dwarves of Erebor, father of Roac (sp?) in The Hobbit.

Well done.
I was thinking specifically of Roac (carrying messages between Thorin Oakenshield and Dain II), but also applies perfectly well (actually even better!) to 'old' Carc.

Your turn!

OK next one:

Immortal located amongst tumuli of equine-masters.

Originally Posted by StrideColossus

OK next one:

Immortal located amongst tumuli of equine-masters.

Simbelmyne growing on the mounds of the Kings of Rohan.
Another name for this flower is alfirin which translates as "immortal".

Originally Posted by Boraxxe

Simbelmyne growing on the mounds of the Kings of Rohan.
Another name for this flower is alfirin which translates as "immortal".

Correct. The last bit was a little easy but I thought the 'immortal' part might stump people for a while.

Tis you...

Originally Posted by StrideColossus

Correct. The last bit was a little easy but I thought the 'immortal' part might stump people for a while.

Tis you...

It did stump me for a while....good misdirection. You had me looking for elves, maia and Valar attending funerals.
I scanned Theoden's funeral quite a bit but couldn't find any of those named, though it is implied that several elves and Gandalf were in attendance, the text does not specifically name them.

I'll have a new one up a bit later today.

Ok, here is a new one.

The result of the upward motion of atmosphere around extratropical phenomena preceding crest cascading filamentous biomaterial.

It has been a while since I posted this and when I went back to look at what I had done I could not at first remember the answer...but fear not. I finally did remember. And I deem that it is solvable. Take another look.

Originally Posted by Boraxxe

Ok, here is a new one.

The result of the upward motion of atmosphere around extratropical phenomena preceding crest cascading filamentous biomaterial.

I don't think this is right, but it's the all I can come up with...

thunder-battle?

From The Hobbit:

"All was well, until one day they met a thunderstorm -- more than a thunderstorm -- a thunder battle."

Originally Posted by Boraxxe

Ok, here is a new one.

The result of the upward motion of atmosphere around extratropical phenomena preceding crest cascading filamentous biomaterial.

Desperate to try and get this right
The storm on Caradhras?
Gandalfs fireworks?
The magic flame things he does on the hilltop near moria?

I'm most inclined to believe firework guess but I really am stumped (new to these trivial by the way *waves*)

Neither of those are really very close.
Don't forget about that last word.

Originally Posted by Boraxxe

Neither of those are really very close.
Don't forget about that last word.

Still knocking this one around in my noggin, but mebbee this might help ya'll out!

bi·o·ma·te·ri·al
   noun
a synthetic material, usually a plastic, suitable for implanting in a living body to repair damaged or diseased parts.

Originally Posted by bambubambubambu

Still knocking this one around in my noggin, but mebbee this might help ya'll out!

bi·o·ma·te·ri·al
   noun
a synthetic material, usually a plastic, suitable for implanting in a living body to repair damaged or diseased parts.

Hmmm, I found a different definition: From Wikipedia...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomaterial

A biomaterial is any matter, surface, or construct that interacts with biological systems.

But to tell the truth, what I had in mind for that word was the opposite of a synthetic material...a natural, biologically produced substance.

The result of the upward motion of atmosphere around extratropical phenomena preceding crest cascading filamentous biomaterial.

After review, I have decided that this is perhaps excessively obfuscated.
In fact, when I passed this by a soul whos puzzle-solving skill I greatly respect and admire, she said something to the effect of, "Obfuscated, ok, yeah, it's supposed to be confusing and hidden, but not FREAKING impossible!"

So, I will add some punctuation and a small hint. Here is a modified version with a hint (notice the comma).

The result of the upward motion of atmosphere around extratropical phenomena, preceding crest cascading filamentous biomaterial.

Hint: "crest" is a term that is used to describe a bit of the anatomy of a particular genus.

For some reason I want to say Tinuviel's hair swirling as she danced.

Originally Posted by Vilnas

For some reason I want to say Tinuviel's hair swirling as she danced.

oh, oh,....one word in there is leading you in the right direction. I am confident that you know what the biomaterial is.

To be honest, it's the extratropical that is giving me trouble.

Snowmane perhaps?

Originally Posted by Itharas

Snowmane perhaps?

That's the answer. Snowmane was Theodens horse.

Snow = result of the upward motion of atmosphere (air) around extratropical (temperate zone) phenomina (cyclones).
Mane = Crest (area of a horse or other equine at the top of the neck between the head and shoulders) cascading filamentous biomaterial (hair).

You are up Itharas!

Yowza! That was a tough one! Nice job Itha!

Itharas, are you out there?
It has been a while.....you are up.

Originally Posted by Boraxxe

Itharas, are you out there?
It has been a while.....you are up.

Ahh, sorry; a guy I knew from high school was killed while in Mexico City and then my hometown was partially destroyed in a wildfire which has yet to be contained, so I was freaking out about that, so I haven't had much time to be on the internet playing trivia games lately.

That being said... I have no question, nor could I in good conscious ask one without knowing whether or not I'd be able to respond back. Anyone who wants to may ask.

Very sorry to hear that, friend. I hope that you are otherwise safe and healthy, as well as any friends and family living in your hometown.

I hope things improve Itharas.
I will wait for your return.
Take care and give love where you can.

Itharas:

Although we haven't spoken or "conversed" in game or in forum, let me add my condolences to the loss of your friend, and I hope everything is safely settled with the wildfires. Take care friend.

Well, it's been quite a while.
Itharas can have the stick whenever it's time.

I will pose one to keep us going.

Corrupted domestic/foreign policy consultant

Originally Posted by Boraxxe

Corrupted domestic/foreign policy consultant

I'll take a punt on Grima Wormtongue?

Originally Posted by StrideColossus

I'll take a punt on Grima Wormtongue?

That's the ticket!
Yer up Stride.

OK here ya go:

bona-fide argent bulwark

Originally Posted by StrideColossus

OK here ya go:

bona-fide argent bulwark

Ok, I waited a while...no one else has posted a guess so here goes:

The Doors of Durin, or the Moria West Gate.

Originally Posted by Boraxxe

The Doors of Durin, or the Moria West Gate.

Nope.

Clue: it can be worn.

Originally Posted by StrideColossus

Nope.

Clue: it can be worn.

Mail shirt of purest mithril?

True-silver coat

Originally Posted by Curandhras

Mail shirt of purest mithril?

Originally Posted by Boraxxe

True-silver coat

Both correct, I'm not sure whether that means it's a tie or whether it's by time, in which case Curandhras is up.

Bona-fide = true
Argent = means sort-of silvery
so true-silver -> mithril
Bulwark = protection, fence, shield, etc

I used 'bulwark' because I thought I remembered the mithril shirt being referred to as 'armour' but never got round to checking it :blush: Did I imagine that?

Originally Posted by StrideColossus

Both correct, I'm not sure whether that means it's a tie or whether it's by time, in which case Curandhras is up.

I used 'bulwark' because I thought I remembered the mithril shirt being referred to as 'armour' but never got round to checking it :blush: Did I imagine that?

Well chainmail's armour, so it makes sense to me!

Since it's a tie we could both do one?

Portmanteau denoted arid-land

Originally Posted by Curandhras

Well chainmail's armour, so it makes sense to me!

Since it's a tie we could both do one?

Portmanteau denoted arid-land

How about Haradwaith? From the Sindarin harad, "South" and gwaith, "people".

Originally Posted by Boraxxe

How about Haradwaith? From the Sindarin harad, "South" and gwaith, "people".

So very close. I think the name I'm looking for was given much, much more "recently" than Haradwaith. Although it is very much Near Harad.

Originally Posted by Curandhras

So very close. I think the name I'm looking for was given much, much more "recently" than Haradwaith. Although it is very much Near Harad.

How about Harandor (South Gondor)?