The Two Towers is the second volume of high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings, written by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien(1892 – 1973), better known as J. R. R. Tolkien. Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. While Tolkien envisioned The Lord of the Rings as the first volume in a 2 volume set, the publisher did not support this concept. The six book format desired by Tolkien was again changed by the publisher to a three volume set to save printing and publishing costs. These three volumes became the The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. The Lord of the Rings has inspired, and continues to inspire, artwork, music, films and television, video games, board games, and subsequent literature. Award-winning adaptations of The Lord of the Rings have been made for radio, theatre, and film. It has been named Britain's best novel of all time in the BBC's The Big Read. Few written works can compete with its popularity or cultural impact. As a result, Tolkien has been called the "father" of modern fantasy literature. In 2008, The Times ranked him sixth on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". Forbes ranked him the fifth top-earning "dead celebrity" in 2009.
While Tolkien was inspired by a broad range of sources and cultures, The Two Towers is known for content drawn from Tolkien’s own experiences. Frodo and Sam are lead by Gollum through the Dead Marshes by Gollum on their way to Mordor. Several battles were fought here, littered with thousands of corpses; Elves, Men, and Orcs. Through the years, the marshland began to encroach upon parts of the battlefield, and engulfed the dead that lay there. The haunting description used to describe the Dead Marshes resembles the Somme Battlefield during Word War I, where Tolkien was present.
The bodies seen resting in the pools of the Marshes are perhaps incorporeal, merely the images of those who have fallen - as Gollum says, "Only shapes to see, perhaps, not to touch." Frodo is mesmerized by the candle-like lights that appear to float over the Marshes; those who are hypnotized by these lights, and who therefore try to touch the bodies, are likely to drown in the waters and join the dead. In the book, Gollum reveals the dangers to Sam, who calls to the stiff and lifeless Frodo and breaks his trance before he can touch the waters.
Cache Overview
Find the Dead Marshes cache, but don't be like Frodo, who fell into the water in the 2002 movie adaptation. You don't have to go into reeds to find the cache, you are not required to disturb the ecosystem. The hide is meant to present a fun challenge and be worthy of its 3.5 difficulty rating. This cache is not meant to be laying out in the open and easily found just by walking up on it. PLEASE take a moment to ensure the container and hint item are well hidden. Don’t ruin the fun for the next hider. This also helps hide the cache from persistent muggles who keep stealing it. Please notify the CO if you find it laying exposed out in the open.
As a result of changes to the cache and local area over the years, the cache is overrated at 2.5T; but kept in place for those previous finders that earned it.
Congratulations to Wolfpack01 for FTF!