Chatter: The Blue Wizards

Far beyond the Sea of Rhun was another inland sea, the Sea of Helcar, and beyond that the range of Orocarni, the Red Mountains. Somewhere in the lost east, too, lay Cuivienen and Hildorien, where Elves and Men first awoke: all the Children of Iluvatar could trace their ancestries back to the eastward regions of Middle-earth.This Forum is for Work on the Rhun campaign setting for The One Ring RPG set in Middle-earth.
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Vardaen
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Chatter: The Blue Wizards

Post by Vardaen » Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:17 pm

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This will be about the Blue Wizards. I prefer the later work Tolkien did on them compared to the first bit. They will make excellent patrons or enemies depending on if they have fallen to shadow or not. I tend to like the idea that that haven't fallen, but have perhaps failed in their purpose to some degree, setting up small kingdoms for themselves like Saruman, but fighting against Sauron still not being ensnared by him.

Blue Wizards
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Blue_wizards

The Blue Wizards (S. Ithryn Luin) were two wizards sent to contest the will of Sauron in the furthest regions of Middle-earth. Tolkien's conception of the two Blue Wizards changed dramatically between his earlier and later writings.

Later writings

Towards the end of his life Tolkien returned to the issue of the Blue Wizards. In a brief outline he noted that the Blue Wizards were sent to Middle-earth in the Second Age and were destined to disrupt the work of Sauron in the East:

Their task was to circumvent Sauron: to bring help to the few tribes of Men that had rebelled from Melkor-worship, to stir up rebellion ... and after his first fall to search out his hiding (in which they failed) and to cause [?dissension and disarray] among the dark East ... They must have had very great influence on the history of the Second Age and Third Age in weakening and disarraying the forces of East ... who would both in the Second Age and Third Age otherwise have ... outnumbered the West.
- J.R.R. Tolkien
[5]

Therefore Tolkien dramatically altered his conception of the Blue Wizards. They no longer arrived in Middle-earth along with Saruman, Gandalf, and Radagast in c. T.A. 1000. Instead they arrived much earlier, at roughly the same time as Glorfindel in c. S.A. 1600. Whilst Glorfindel was tasked with aiding Elrond with the war in Eriador, the Blue Wizards were destined to journey to the East. Tolkien no longer believed that they drifted from their mission; instead he makes it clear that they played a decisive role in the downfall of Sauron at the end of both the Second Age and the Third Age. They became known as Morinehtar and Rómestámo, Darkness-slayer and East-helper, and were successful in preventing the forces of the East from outnumbering those of the Free peoples in the West.

Based on these later writings, a history of the Blue Wizards can be summarized as the following:

* The two Blue Wizards were sent to Middle-earth at roughly the same time as Glorfindel in c. S.A. 1600 (and similarly at the behest of the Valar), the Year of Dread, when Sauron forged the One Ring and completed the building of Barad-dûr.

* The Blue Wizards journeyed into the East of Middle-earth, where they remained; they were not heard or seen of west of Mordor.

* There they became known as Morinehtar and Rómestámo, Darkness-slayer and East-helper.

* The Blue Wizards were able to hinder Sauron's operations in the East, aiding the defeat of Sauron in the War of the Last Alliance.

* During the early Third Age and until the end of the Watchful Peace, they were tasked with finding where Sauron dwelt. They failed.

* Morinehtar and Rómestámo ensured that the forces of the East did not outnumber the West, thus helping secure victory for the Free peoples in War of the Ring.

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"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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TetNak
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Re: Chatter: The Blue Wizards

Post by TetNak » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:17 am

I'd like to focus on Morinehtar. My take is a much more militant version of all the other wizards, due to his proximity to Mordor and the shadow. I won't let you down boss!
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Vardaen
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Re: Chatter: The Blue Wizards

Post by Vardaen » Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:52 am

Give it a whirl and lets see what we can come up with.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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Re: Chatter: The Blue Wizards

Post by Blubbo_Baggins » Thu Oct 30, 2014 10:48 pm

That picture is really well done; I like the fact that there is a hint of east as we imagine it now, a wizard more like an old sage (and his Chinese hat). I could imagine Rómestámo being the opposite of Morinehtar; a quite, wise sage whose help was subtle and harder to see. Wax on, wax off!

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Re: Chatter: The Blue Wizards

Post by Vardaen » Tue Nov 11, 2014 12:59 am

I really liked the image too, hence its use.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

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