The Silmaril Awards 2022: Vote for counselors!

Welcome back, everyone! And first of all, I'd like to call for a round of applause for the nominees for Wisest Counselor. All up you guys have nominated and seconded fifty three wise counselors... and having them milling around my place is so much less stressful than having a hundred and two villains like last year. (My sympathies to DJ Edwardson, who has the task of handling the villains this year.)

My guests have even been giving me advice, because they're so friendly and helpful! Like "Don't procrastinate writing that post, it's better to do what needs to be done straight away," "Looking at your phone isn't a good way of spending your time," "Are you serious right now, child, your time is ticking," "I'M GETTING ANXIETY JUST WATCHING YOU, CAN YOU PLEASE-"

I really should keep these guys around longer. I can learn a lot from them. 

 

Silmaril Awards 2022: Voting for Wisest Counselor!

So here's how it works! While we had fifty three nominations, only five can progress to voting, so I'll introduce the counselors who got the most seconds from you lovely people. Then you follow the link to the voting form, where you have a heavy decision to make: 

Which of the five wise counselors will get your vote?

Who you're voting for:

Merlin (Arthurian legends)

Our oldest nominee by far, Merlin is the wizard and advisor of King Arthur. He's featured in various works of legend - his nomination mentioned Le Morte d'Arthur. Counselor is one of his official roles, and with the fate of Arthur's kingdom entwined into that, he's got a lot of responsibility.

...the below gif is not precisely the Merlin you're voting for, seeing as he's a variant adapted for TV, but I just like this kid. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Professor McGonagall (Harry Potter)

Being second-in-charge of a school is hard. When your students are magic and don't always have good common sense, life gets a lot tougher. Professor McGonagall has had to deal with bullying, children whose bones have disappeared, government takeover of the school, and teaching her students how to waltz. Her dry Scottish accent is able to provide both sensible advice and cutting comebacks. 

McGonagall would probably be capable of keeping the Villains category in line... after all, she had to deal with last year's winner.

 

Nia (Wingfeather saga)

Nia is a loving and comforting presence in her children's lives as she does her best to guide and protect them through danger, raise them in their rightful heritage, and teach them their Three Honoured and Great Subjects (T.H.A.G.S.). Her unfortunate circumstances and the loss she has suffered have not broken her, and she remains unwaveringly kind, gentle, and the person her remaining family needs her to be.

Beana (Goldstone Wood)

We first meet Beana in Veiled Rose, book 2 of the Goldstone Wood series, when she's eating her way through a patch of clover and a bunch of thistles, having eaten half the lawn already. She has little horns and shaggy hair and also four legs because... she's a goat. (...Who corrects the heroine's grammar and says she talks like she was raised by sheep.) She's dedicated to keeping the heroine safe, though, and seeing as she is able to talk, is presumably more than she seems...

I can't find a picture for Beana. Imagine, if you will, a goat with an attitude. 

Mrs Weasley (Harry Potter)

When you're a mother to so many children, what's one more? Mrs Weasley didn't hesitate to fold Harry into her family as soon as she realised he had none. She also spent eight years trying to keep her extremely Gryffindor family alive, whether that was by telling the twelve-year-olds off for driving the flying car, by dueling notorious war criminals, or by knitting sweaters.

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Now... head to the Silmaril Award website to vote!

Other categories use the same link to vote, but you should read up on who your options are first: 

Most Epic Heroine AND Most Epic Hero

Most Nefarious Villain

Most Majestic Ruler

Most Magnificent Dragon

Most Faithful Friend

Silver Tongue

Strangest Character

Most Mischievous Imp

Now, go forth and vote! And maybe drop in the comments why your beloved character is definitely the best choice... hype them up and see who else you can persuade. xD

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"...but Jem," you cry, "Where is Gandalf?"

He's actually in the back yard with an assembled audience, demonstrating his smoke rings, while simultaneously having a quite involved discussion with some of the magic users. I think a few of the others have helped themselves to his fireworks stash, but it remains ominously silent as yet. Being a wise counselor doesn't mean you necessarily give up on the exciting parts of life, apparently...