February 2017 Challenge: Mordor Holiday Resort

[Tom]

This is awesome..
"Whilst every effort is made to remove them, diners should be aware that food may contain small bones, large bones, leather fragments, hair, studs, chain-mail, and eyballs when in season. We don't charge extra for these bonus dishes"

You won.

p.s. I want a "make Mordor great again" hat

[Diamond]

Best thing in 2017.

[ChickPea]

Thanks guys, and wow!

EDIT:

Hahaha! This is brilliant. You so have to register mordor-resort.com and build a website

I forgot to respond to this yesterday, but yeah... I am so doing this! After the challenge is over, watch this space...

*goes off to hunt for the cheapest domain registrar*

[Josiah VE]

This is amazing!! A brilliant idea too, and the whole thing looks very professional. You just need the locations on the map now.

[ChickPea]

Thanks, Josiah. Working on it! Last night I made a skull on a stick for my golf course icon. I mean, Mordor's not going to have stupid flags like every other golf course!

[handsome_unlimited]

Beautiful! I love it!

Sidenote: can any Tolkien-nerds out there tell me the background behind the shape of those mountains? Like, it's easy to laugh and say "haha nice one Tolkien, perfectly right-angled tectonic plates", but Tolkien was pretty clever - I doubt it was unintentional. I'm sure one of you guys has read the Silmarillion and has the answer for me...

[Voolf]

Thanks guys, and wow!

I forgot to respond to this yesterday, but yeah... I am so doing this! After the challenge is over, watch this space...

*goes off to hunt for the cheapest domain registrar*

I know where i am going to spend my next holiday . Just hope it wont be too expensive to book a cave in mountain

[- JO -]

Beautiful! I love it!

Sidenote: can any Tolkien-nerds out there tell me the background behind the shape of those mountains? Like, it's easy to laugh and say "haha nice one Tolkien, perfectly right-angled tectonic plates", but Tolkien was pretty clever - I doubt it was unintentional. I'm sure one of you guys has read the Silmarillion and has the answer for me...

I have always wondered whether Tolkien was inspired by the relief of Carpathian mountains

[Blaidd Drwg]

Sidenote: can any Tolkien-nerds out there tell me the background behind the shape of those mountains? Like, it's easy to laugh and say "haha nice one Tolkien, perfectly right-angled tectonic plates", but Tolkien was pretty clever - I doubt it was unintentional. I'm sure one of you guys has read the Silmarillion and has the answer for me...

Well, I don't know any specifics concerning Mordor, but I do know that Tolkien did indeed put a lot of thought into the geology of Middle-Earth. However, the major features like mountain ranges, lakes, seas and oceans weren't formed by the gradual processes we are used to in the real world. They were formed by the Valar (something like angels, or lesser gods under the creator Eru Ilúvatar). For instance, the mountain range along the coast of Valinor, where the Valar lived, was raised specifically to function as a protective wall. Morgoth (Sauron's former boss, and the closest thing to Satan in ME) seemed more fond of destroying the other Valar's work in huge volcanic eruptions and what not. This goes some way towards explaining why all the major features are so obviously artificial. Other Tolkien nerds that know a lot more than I do, say that Mordor was definitely formed by Morgoth in this way (when he destroyed the Two Lamps, maybe?), even before Sauron settled there. The narrow valley of Udûn in the northwest is apparently a huge caldera.

[ChickPea]

Nothing to do with geological discussions, but I laughed myself silly at this tweet...

https://twitter.com/beefmilk/status/834157440358715392

Clearly my map needs more cats!