Valar and Maiar
Klappentext: “…But it was not the trolls that had filled the Elf with terror. the ranks of the orcs had opened¸ and they crowded away¸ as if they themselves were afraid. Something was coming up behind them. What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow¸ in the middle of which was a dark form¸ of man-shape maybe¸ yet greater; and a power and terror seemed to be in it and to got before it.” – The Fellowship of the Ring
Imagine¸ after hearing all the awful legends¸ finally confronting a dreadful spirit borne out of the great Evil of the Elder Days¸ an immortal demon stirred from his premeval slumber. Imagine meeting a Balrog.
In Valar & Maiar you learn about Balrogs¸ as well as all the other greater spirits (good and evil) inhabiting J.R.R. Tolkien’s marvelous world. These immortal being¸ the mighty Ainur¸ helped shape Middle-earth – the place Elves call Endor. Their story dominates much of the continent’s troubled history. Fallen Ainur¸ Morgoth¸ Sauron¸ and the Balrogs¸ forever haunt the land¸ twisting Endor’s peoples and perverting its politics. Faithful valar¸ like Oromë and Aulëe¸ serve as patrons of the Free Peoples. Wise Maiar¸ like Gandalf and Tom Bombadil¸ act as caretakers of the Balance of Things. Each has a place in Eru’s scheme¸ and each has a story that colors the grand saga of Middle-earth.
Inside you’ll find alphabetical listings covering the appearance¸ motivations¸ characteristics¸ and background of each of the Valar and prominent Maiar:
Overviews describing the general nature and history of all the “Holy Ones¸” the immortal Ainur¸ including the fallen spirits known as the Great Enemies. Valar¸ or “powers¸” the high guardians of the world: – Manwë¸ the “Breather¸” Maker of Winds¸ Lord of the Sky¸ and King of the Valar. – Varda¸ Elbereth Gilthoniel¸ the exaulted Queen of the Starts. – Oromë¸ the “Huntsman¸” the world’s greatest armsmaster. – Tulkas¸ the “Mighty¸” stringest being in Arda. Maiar¸ or “Hands¸” the immortal servants of the Valar: – Tim Bombadil¸ master of the Old Forest and the oldest of the Ainur in Middle-earth. – Eönwë¸ the mighty Herald of the Valar and greatest of the Maia warlords. – Melian¸ the Maia who married an Elf-king and became Queen of Doriath. – Goldberry¸ the beautiful Water-spirit whose music charms the ageless flow of the River Withywindle. Wizards – Alatar¸ Gandalf¸ Pallando¸ Radagast¸ and Saruman – the five Maia emissaries sent to Middle-earth in the Third Age. Fallen Ainur¸ like: – Morgoth¸ the “Black Enemy¸” the exalted Vala who became the origin of all Evil. – Sauron¸ the “Lord of the Rings¸” the great Maia who served as Morgoth’s high servant. – Gothmog¸ the “King of the Balrogs¸” the lost Fire-spirit that led the Host of Angband. Ungoliant¸ the frightful “Demon of the Void¸” who poisoned the Two Trees that gave light to the World. Complete character stats for ICE’s Middle-earth Role Playing¸ Rolemaster¸ and Lord of the Rings Adventure Game systems¸ as well as provisions for adapting the characters to other adventure games. Valar & Maiar is the first title in ICE’s Peoples of Middle-earth adventure game series. Each work in this collection documents a specific race or group found in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Other volumes includes Dwarves¸ Hobbits¸ Orcs¸ Trolls¸ etc. Each is a comprehensive compendium describing all the notable characters from one of Endor’s varied races.
Note: ICE’s Valar & Maiar is a revised compilation of material previously published as part of the work entitled Lords of Middle-earth¸ Volume 1: the Immortals: Elves¸ Maiar¸ and Valar. While ICE has added some new material and reorganized the data¸ most of the prose here was already in print when we began our revision.