Monetary system in Middle-earth is something we don't know much about. We know, for example, that Bill Ferny wanted twelve silver pennies for his pony, which was three times its value, and there are some other mentions of coins, but not much more than that. There are many interesting question about currency of different races and cultures, and its origin and value, but we would like this to be more personal than an academic discussion.
Money is an important part of our lives. Sometimes we wish it wouldn't be so, but the world's economy is based on it, and we can't escape it. We have to earn it and spend it, save it, worry about it... Do you think that Tolkien's heroes have the same worries, at least at some point in their life? How does a lonely ranger make money, so he can stay a night at the inn and buy some provisions? And whet about when he becomes a king and suddenly has to care for the economics of the whole kingdom? Where does the wealth of Elves come from, and does Legolas get pocket money from his father?
The deadline for this challenge is May 25th, but can be extended until the end of the month. If you need an extension to finish your story or picture, just write to the email below!
For writers: send your stories to teitho.contest@gmail.com. The contest is anonymous and the story can't be posted publicly until the results of the challenge are announced. Aragorn or Legolas don't have to be main characters, but at least one of them must be mentioned in the story.
For artists: Submit your picture into the Teitho gallery folder of Arda-Inspired at deviantArt. The picture should be new, drawn specifically for the challenge. State that you are submitting it to the contest in the artist's comments.
Happy writing and drawing!
Your Teitho-moderator,
Mirach