I joined just after that happened, so I do know something about it. The "Fellowship of the Ring" has broader appeal--a lot of people don't catch the LotR reference in White Council, whereas the Fellowship is impossible to miss. And it lends itself to more role-playing--the fellowship was a mix of people of different races and classes, whereas the White Council was a bunch of wizards.

There were a very few people who interpreted it in a racist sense but I don't think that was a major motivating factor in the switch.

Thanks, vincible!

vincible got it right. The racist misinterpretation was one push factor but not the main reason for the change.

Another reason was that the name really suited the new icon I picked for the empire - the One Ring.


~SDC~