When I was young, I oftentimes imagined what it would be like to live in Rivendell, the sanctuary of the Elves in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a refuge in times of trouble, an outpost of aid and friendship, and a bounty of history and folklore. Blessed by magic and peace, Rivendell is a place saturated with the kind of ancient, otherworldly beauty that only an immortal race could build.