Middle Earth Roleplaying
Valar & Maiar
Author: Peter C. Fenlon Jr.
Stock #: 2006
ISBN: 1-55806-196-7
Published 1993 by Iron Crown Enterpises
Cover Price: $15.00
Page Count: 128
Type: Peoples 2nd Edition

Cover/Jacket Text:

"...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.

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NOTE: This product replaces the 1st Edition LORDS of Middle-earth Vol I (1986) sourcebook which was also split into the 2nd Edition ELVES (1994) peoples module.

Comments

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Sun 12 Jan 2003 00:57 - Arvedui III Rating: 5 / 10

I am not sure that I fathom ICE`s penchant for splitting books. It watered down the material, and this is really just a rehash of the Silmarillion combined with game details to begin with. It is good to see some of the pencil drawings of Vala and Maia, but a whole book on characters that Tolkien quite clearly never meant for Middle Earth humans to ever see is a bit futile.