The time has come.

Only those most worthy can be chosen.

Welcome to the voting phase of the Silmarillion Awards, where victors will rise and the best characters in fantasy will receive the acclaim they rightfully deserve.

First off, huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the nomination process. So many fantastic entries! Sadly, only five could advance to the final voting round, which begins today.

Here are the top five choices for Most Faithful Friend, with a brief description explaining why they deserve the award.

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Gurgi from The Chronicles of Prydain

Gurgi may look a mess, but he’s loyal to a fault. Though he seems cowardly and led by the pangs of hunger constantly gnawing at him, this strange creature follows Taran faithfully throughout all his journeys. Time and again, his help proves invaluable.

Ferocious with a sword, a nimble climber, keen of eye, generous, and adept at finding lost objects, Gurgi makes a wonderful adventuring companion. But his selflessness and loyalty to the point of death stand out and make him a true candidate for this award.

Rose Red from The Tales of Goldstone Wood

Rose Red dresses all in veils that conceal her completely and is unexpectedly strong for her thin frame. Also known as Varvare, or affectionately as Rosie, she shows immense loyal, no matter the obstacles she faces or the looks she receives.

With a steadfast spirit and good heart (though sometimes as stubborn as her goat Beana), she’s a simple soul whose plain, mountain-girl accent and dirty white veils cover a spirit of down-to-earth virtue as solid as the stone of mountains.

Inigo Montoya from Princess Bride

Brave. Daring. Relentless.

Inigo Montoya is a man you dare not cross (especially if his father is somehow involved). Loyal to those he counts as friends, he nevertheless fiercely pursues those who have wronged him and his family. His unwavering dedication to avenging his father’s death marks Inigo’s character as one befitting this award.

Imraldera from The Tales of Goldstone Wood

Imraldera came from humble beginnings, but following the Prince of Farthestshore led her to have a far greater impact on history than she would have otherwise been capable of. Not only does she accompany the bard Eanrin on various missions for the Prince, she’s also the Keeper of the Haven, which offers rest and safety to travelers who find themselves lost in the Wood Between.

Fiercely loyal, Dame Imraldera is not one to give up easily. Keeping up her library gives her a vast knowledge of history, and her excellent instincts make her a fantastic choice to take on any adventure.

via GIPHY

Iko from the Lunar Chronicles

Iko is the sweetest, sassiest, spunkiest android you’ll meet. Her loyalty to her friends runs far deeper than her personality programming.

Never more than a click or call away, she’s always eager to provide information, ideas, and maybe a wistful remark or two about the dreamy Prince Kai. Iko is definitely someone you can count on in a jam, making her an excellent candidate.

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Voting ends this Friday at 11:59 pm CDT.

Starting next week, the winners of each award will be announced, one per day. I’ll have a post here for Most Faithful Friend on July 27, so make sure to check back for that!

Vote using the form below:

LOTR-Themed Grand Prize Giveaway

This year, in addition to the individual giveaways that ran last week, we have a Grand Prize package that one fortunate soul will win.

In order to be eligible, you’ll need to visit all the participating blogs and piece together a poem that some of the masterminds on our team (aka not me 😛 ) wrote up. The poem lines need to be put in order, and I’m the second-to-last stop on the virtual route. 😉

My piece of the poetry puzzle is…

Cast your gaze upon them, if you will,

You’ll find the last phrase at Jenelle’s blog. If you started here, just follow the link trail to collect all ten lines of the poem.

And while you’re visiting the other blogs, don’t forget to vote for all the awesome characters who were nominated for awards!

LET’S TALK

⇒ Which character do you hope wins the Most Faithful Friend award?