Elendor is a MUSH (Multi-User Shared Hallucination) server based on J.R.R. Tolkien's writings, especially The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Users create characters according to the theme of the books, depending on the culture and species of choice. The purpose is to create a role-playing environment as close as possible to Tolkien's Middle-earth.
Within Elendor there are 21 different cultures, each covering a different culture written about by Tolkien in his writings about Middle-earth. For example, a player can play an orc from Moria, an elf from Mirkwood, a mortal human from Dunland, or a Hobbit from the Shire, to name but a few choices. However, not all cultures can be played by new players, who may lack experience. These cultures include the Ents, Trolls, and Dúnedain, as well as many other special or powerful species.
The cultures are each run by a "Ruler" (an out of character rank) and a council of local administrators (Local Admins or LAs). These players are responsible for the theme and daily running of their respective cultures. Above the Rulers is a council of "Wizards", or MUSH-wide administrators, who have wide ranging responsibilities that involve the daily running of the MUSH.
Established in October 1991, Elendor is the oldest and most popular Tolkien-based MUSH on the internet. As of May 2005, the number of registered users in the game was over 2,000.
Etymology[]
Elendor is a mixed name that means Elven-land, with elements from both Quenya and Sindarin. The first element is Quenyan Elen, meaning 'Elves, Elvish, or pertaining to Elves', and the second is the Sindarin suffix -(n)dor, meaning 'land'.