Creatures of Western Middle-earth

                    Typed: Otay and Beowulf

AN OBSERVER'S GUIDE

DWARVES:  A long-lived race of valiant warrior/craftsmen. Dwarves and
elves harbor a deep and abiding dislike of one another, due to an
unfortunate history of mutual competition and mistrust. 

ELVES:  An ancient noble race if immortal folk.  Elves are fair to the
eye, and wise beyond human understanding. 

HOBBITS:  A race of cheerful, strong-willed folk who chiefly inhabit The
Shire.  Shorter than dwarves, and lacking the latter's over-developed
musculature, hobbits are quite nimble and dexterous.  Most hobbits
cannot swim (Merry is and exception).  Of all the party, Pippin is the
most agile, Sam the most sturdy, and Frodo the smartest.  Sam, being
Frodo's devoted friend and retainer, will always attempt to stay by his
side. 

MEN:  Many different nations of men inhabit Middle-earth.  The
inhabitants of some, such as Rohan and Gondor, are implacable foes of
the Dark Lord.  Others, such as Umbar and Harad, aid Sauron with troops,
war elephants, and gold. 

ORCS:  Orcs (or goblins, as hobbits call them) are the soldiers of the
Dark Lord.  They are powerful, stooped and twisted creatures, with long
arms, hairy knuckles, and muzzles crammed with far too many teeth.  Orcs
hate sunlight, except for Uruk-hai, a new, more powerful breed recently
spawned in the pits of Mordor. 

TROLLS:  Trolls are huge, flinty creatures; they have lumpen minds and
brutal instincts and serve the cause of evil.  They turn to stone when
struck by daylight.  In recent years, the Olog-hai - a wittier, more
agile version of the troll that can withstand sunlight - have appeared
on the scene.  Observers report that they are similar in appearance to
enormous, black Orcs of unusual ugliness. 

WARGS and WOLVES:  The wolves of the wildlands are particulary large and
ferocious, and are frequently misnamed "Wargs." Wargs proper are
werewolf-phantasms which only assume their real (and deadly) shapes
after darkness has fallen.  Sunlight nullifies their power. 

WIZARDS:  A mysterious race of magicians who first appeared in
Middle-earth several millenia ago. 

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