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mimilind · 2 years

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1. Raft

Summary: What could have been, if Galadriel chose differently on the raft with Halbrand, and what led up to his offer.

Part 1 of Perfect Balance of Darkness and Light.

🤍🖤 🤍🖤 🤍🖤 🤍🖤

Pairing: Galadriel x Halbrand

Rating: T

Chapter Word Count: 1080

Parts: [ Next Part > ] [ Masterlist ]

Full story: [ AO3 ]

Contains spoilers for season 1 of Rings of Power.

🤍🖤 🤍🖤 🤍🖤 🤍🖤

1. Raft

Galadriel found herself in another dream, or if it was a vision. She was standing on a tiny raft on a wide ocean, and next to her sat Halbrand, just like the first time they met. Everything felt real, even the gently rocking timber under her feet and the tangy smell of salt in her nostrils. The wind ruffled her golden curls.

It was him all along. All this time she had traveled side by side with her greatest enemy, the one she had sworn to kill, and instead she had helped him, even saved his life. The irony.

Halbrand was Sauron, servant of the Dark Lord of Angband.

“Look at me!” he begged.

She looked at him. The man who had been her friend, her ally through her recent hardships. They had fought side by side and it had been fantastic.

He still looked the same; that same open face with the intelligent eyes, the same scruffy chin and damp strands of hair. He looked so human. How could she have been so mistaken? So fooled? He had tricked her from the very beginning.

Halbrand sounded earnest as he began explaining. He had wanted to repent, sought forgiveness after what he did in the Dark Lord’s service, and then he had met her.

“I told you that I had done evil and you did not care,” he said seriously. “Because you knew that our past meant nothing weighed against our future.”

“There is no such future.”

His eyes gleamed. “Isn’t there?” he whispered.

Something happened in the water below them; their reflection had changed. When the water stilled Galadriel saw two shapes in Halbrand’s and her stead; a tall, dark king with a high crown, and on his side a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn, tempestuous as the sea.

She knew this could be their future – if she let it.

“All others look on you with doubt,” said Halbrand, his voice warm and silky like dragon skin. “I alone can see your greatness.”

He touched her cheek and she felt currents of his power pass through to her. It was dark and different, yet hauntingly familiar. As if he represented another side of herself. The darkness within.

“I alone can see your light,” he whispered.

Galadriel tried to resist his tempting offer, knowing now that he was no ordinary human but a Maia, an entity that had existed since before the breaking of the first silence.

“You would make me a tyrant.”

“I would make you a queen. Fair as the Sea and the Sun. Stronger than the foundations of the earth.”

His charisma was so strong, his words ringing so true. She felt her confidence waver.

“And you. My king? The Dark Lord.”

“No! Not dark. Not with you at my side.” He was very close now, his face blocking the sun. His eyes drew her in.

Could it really work? Could she be the light that balanced his shadows?

“You told me once that we were brought together for a purpose,” he continued, taking her hand and pressing her dagger into it. “This is it. You bind me to the Light. And I bind you to power. Together we can save this Middle-earth.”

“Save? Or rule?”

“I see no difference.”

Suddenly she did not either. As rulers, they could do everything. Save the elves from fading; restore respect for her kind in Númenor; heal the damage done to the people of the Southlands; mend the ruined, scarred lands… They could do so much good.

She met his gaze, allowing him to witness her inner conflict. “How can I trust you?”

He pressed her hand again. “How can you not? You know me, Galadriel. In your heart you always did.”

Time stopped; the sea was absolutely clear. No wind, no sounds, nothing moved. The whole world held its breath.

“Yes. I know you,” she whispered. Then she let the dagger slide through their joined hands and drop to the raft floor with a clatter. “My fight is over.”

He drew in his breath, his eyes widening as in surprise. But then he smiled, a genuine, almost boyish grin that ignited something inside her. Her heart, for so long cold and set on revenge, began to beat faster.

Around them the vision slowly changed. The sea gave way to a river, surrounded by lush trees and grass littered with blue and yellow irises. Its surface rippled in a sweet scented breeze.

They were back in Eregion, and in her hands was the now useless scroll that proved Halbrand was not who she had thought. She tossed it into the water.

He wore elvish clothes again and his hair was neatly combed. When did he become so attractive? But perhaps he had always been; she had just not noticed it before.

”What happens now?” she asked.

“We finish making the Ring. Then I put it on your finger. And then…” He took a step closer. “… we rule.”

He held out his hand, palm up, and she placed her own in his. It was warm and hardened from work. A blacksmith’s hand.

It struck her he had a blacksmith’s body too, broad and strong. Beautiful.

As if he had heard her thoughts, Halbrand pulled her very close. “You are so beautiful,” he breathed. “I need you.”

Her gaze landed on his slightly parted lips. “And I you.”

The distance between them gradually diminished until it was non-existent.

Their lips met. He tasted fresh like rain and his touch was soft. Allowing her to set the pace, to remain in control. Would he always be so pliant? Did she want him to be?

She felt his hands on her waist as he drew her closer, and their kiss deepened.

Voices in the distance made her pull away, consciously smoothing down her dress.

Halbrand chuckled. “Worried over your reputation?”

“No,” she said, not entirely honest.

“Good. Don’t be.” He sat down on a stone bench, pulling her onto his lap. “I want everyone to know you are mine.”

When he kissed her again the pliancy from before was gone. Now his lips were demanding. The lips of a man – or Maia, rather – who knew what he wanted and took it.

And she allowed it.

In a moment of foresight, she saw that this was how they would always be; sometimes with him in control, sometimes her.

Darkness and light, balancing each other. A perfect match.

🤍🖤 🤍🖤 🤍🖤 🤍🖤

A/N:

Just a little something I had very fun writing. :) Let me know what you think!

Parts: [ Next Part > ] [ Masterlist ]

Full story: [ AO3 ]

#galadriel #halbrand #sauron #galadriel x sauron #galadriel x halbrand #Rings of Power #rop #trop #the rings of power #tolkien #fanfiction #fanfic #lord of the rings #lotr fanfiction #lotr #haladriel #perfect balance of darkness and light

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theofaluvsviolet · 4 months

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How about… Narnia x Elden Ring?

So I’ve been working on a Narnia x Elden Ring crossover. Basically it’s the lands and world buildings that align in my story and not the plots. The plot is Narnia’s I just brought Elden ring into it. Why? I don’t know, just enjoy my ideas ig 🤣

| • The World Build •|

~☀️ THE SUN OF NARNIA ☀️~

The Sun of Narnia was created by Aslan by the moment the land was created. Because in Narnia, everything radiates magic, sun is the Amber of the golden sunshine and the magic that blesses people.

The sun radiates the golden sacred magic that holds hope, protection and peace and it is only possibly inheritable by humans blessed with the touch of Anynsian, a royal family known as the "Golden Order", and used from the species of elves and angels. Therefore, the elves and angels live under the care of the Golden Order's leaders, and obey only one particular king.

~ INFORMATION ~

• The Protector

For the power and amber of the sun to be protected and be handled with wisdom, Aslan gave the sun to a spirit for it's protection, a fallen queen named Anynsian. Anynsian never revealed her true face to people and she was only seen as a golden sunlight shaped woman with wings.

The power of sunshine is strictly shared only in those who obey the Golden Order, therefore royals, servants, elves or angels. The knowledge is known amongst them and them only. But the ruler, king or queen who sits on the throne of the Golden Order, holds this power to it's greatest power, through two weapons. The magic elven crown and the crystal angel sword can be used and held only by the royal blood descendants of the Golden Order. The rest magic of the sun can be shared in minimum forms, in weapons and in the planting charismas of the elves.

• Birth of Narnia

Aslan offers the Sun to Narnia and entrusts it's guard to an immortal guardian named Anynsian, shining lightning female figure with golden wings, whom face was never seen by anyone. From the moment Anynsian appears in Narnia, she creates her own people, under her protection and blessing, the "Golden Order". With her light and wisdom, she attracted the faith of the two most powerful species Aslan had brought: The elves and angels. Aslan suspected that the elves and angels would want to claim more power and lands for themselves causing conflicts and deaths, but Anynsian showed them her blessing, the meanings of peace and unity and which drew their attention. From this day forward their faith to her was an unbreakable sacred oath.

The Golden Order's followers is spread throughout all Narnia but their main fortresses, their royal capital and lands are in northern Narnia, in the region of Altus Plateau. Their capital is later placed there, known as the royal capital of Leyndell. Some elves and angels also find their own special safe place, the Tall Tree, Elphael which is controlled and protected by the Golden Order.

The first queen that held the blessing of Anynsian and first leader of the Golden Order, was Queen Marika. She was the one who established the rules and protocols of the Golden Order. People said that her rules were strict and unforgiving but Marika let it be known that ruling powerful species and a sacred light was not easy.

The Golden Order kept gaining power in Narnia for ages. No one would dare to challenge the powerful army and the highly guarded city of Leyndell. But this bright and sacred legacy lasted only for 9 total centuries.

The Last King of the Golden Order was King Lamenor, who reigned with his queen, Eneleÿn. The two of them managed to have heirs as well, two children, Prince Pedrian and Princess Eilowny.

There was a night when a powerful fire sorceress named Verthier, attacked Leyndell with her army and loyal dragons in order to claim the golden magic she craved and was forbidden to claim. Her attack burned the royal capital to the ground and thousands of elves and angels lost their lives. The king and queen trying to defend their people, used their weapons against the witch, with the power of Anynsian herself within, which lead to their death. The two children were saved by Aslan and sent elsewhere, in safety. No one has heard of them since. But Verthier managed to survive and there were rumors that she was imprisoned somewhere, where no one could find her.

The Golden Order was no more but Anynsian, with the help of Aslan, protected and hid the remaining elves and angels in the tree of Elphael.

When the "Golden Age" started in the east, conflicts between High King Peter and another powerful sorceress, Rawena caused her to avenge them and cast a spell in the oceans, that would block their trade and access. It was a spell known as the "Green Mist" and although it was not Rawena's creation she used it to spread fear and desperation to the Lone Islands, as a revenge to High King Peter.

Along with the Lone Islands, Anynsian was trapped and locked way by the magic spell. To save herself and her order, Anynsian decided to freeze the time of her existence, fall into a deep slumber and keep the elves and angels locked away in Elphael, until the spell will break.

Anynsian is still slumbering deeply behind the Green mist and still awaits for the time that the rightful heirs of the Golden Order shall return and lead them.

~TIMELINES~

Creation:

• The Sun is Given to Queen Anynsian, for protection.

• The Council of the Five Sorcerers who came from another world in Narnia, Jadis, Verthier, Rawena, Emyr and Freya is created in the North.

204:

• The Golden Order Family is Created, with the first queen placed being Marika, in the palace of Leyndell ruling the elves and angels.

• Verthier, the fire sorceress is the one who seeks to learn the secrets of the golden order's magic. But when Queen Marika refused and Verthier sought war, she was banished with the whole mages council, in the north.

898:

•The Witch sisters, Jadis and Verthier return from the North to Narnia.

900:

• The Witches Sisters invade Narnia.

• Verthier invades Altus Plateau and the Leyndell Castle. King Lamenor and Queen Eneleÿn sacrifice themselves to protect the Golden Order. Aslan sends Prince Pedrian and Princess Eilowny to our world for safety and they disappear from Narnia.

• The Crimson Witch, Verthier is imprisoned.

Anynsian and her Magic are locked away behind a dark spell by Rawena in the Lone Islands.

• The elves and angels are sent to the Tall Tree of Elphael to keep living and recreating for the next centuries.

🌙 THE MOON OF NARNIA 🌙

The Moon of Narnia was created by Aslan by the time the land was created. Because in Narnia, everything radiates magic, all kind of stars and moon are the Amber of the cosmos and the magic that is shared throughout people's blood, shaped in magical talent. The magic is the skyline's magic that hold intelligence, wisdom and dreams and it is allowed to be used by chosen humans, the known astral sorcerers in Narnia.

~INFORMATION~

• The Protector

For the power of the moon to be protected, Aslan gave the sun responsibility to a spirit witch named Ranni. Ranni was a spirit to begin with but she put herself into a tall doll's body made out of blue wax, dressed in white clothes and four total hands. Aslan knew that Ranni was stern and very consistent to her oaths and beliefs but he trusted her wisdom and judgment.

By the creation of the sorcerers, a new kingdom was created to rule them all and to put magic in order. It was the "Carian Royal Family".

Because the power of the skies is not dangerous to begin with it, if it is learned to be controlled properly, it is shared throughout many narnian sorcerers by birth. And the power is given in higher radiation to the royal descendants of the Carian Royal Family, the leaders of magic.

The magic is held by a special number of people but can only be learned properly in the Academy of Raya Lucaria. It can only be used with staffs made out of wood and the right gems.

The leader of the Carian Royal Family, is carrying a particular special powerful sceptre specially designed to empower them with the help of Ranni the Witch.

The skyline's magic was vast and widely spread in Narnia and after centuries of searching and studying they ended up separate them in three categories: Glinstone Magic, Carian Royal Family's Magic and Night Magic.

Glinstone magic is the power of the stars in every sorcerer's blood and all of them are learned in the Academy of Raya Lucaria.

Carian Royal Family's Magic is the radiation of the very moon embodied in the spectral forms of swords and weapons, known by the Carian royals and other mages who wish to be warriors as well. Carian magic is known to be also used by the forsworn knights.

The night Magic is a matter of enigma in Narnia. Like the power of glinstone they embedded the power of the stars but it is rather the hidden and night stars of darkness. There were mages who practiced it and learned it but the spell itself was forbidden in the Academy. The masters of night magic never taught their arts in the Academy but were moved to other cities and regions to practice it, often pointed out as "heretics".

•Birth of Narnia

Aslan gives the Moon to Narnia and entrusts it's guard to an immortal witch named Ranni. Ranni embeds her power in humans and also shapes her own kingdom, under her guard, the "Carian Family". She shapes a a generation of sorcerers, blessed by the skylight. The magic is spread throughout all Narnia but their main fortress and grounds are in Middle West Narnia, in the Academy of Raya Lucaria and the royal city of Caria Manor.

The first queen that held the blessing of Ranni and the lead of the Carian Family, was Queen Rennala. Rennala herself created the laws and the books of the astral magic and then established the Academy of Raya Lucaria in the centre of Liurnia for all of the sorcerers to study in.

The Last formal King of the Golden Order was King Edgar, but it was well known that royal blood descendants were spread throughout all of Narnia and that the magic descendants were living through for centuries even when the Caria Family was no more.

After Narnia fell into the 100 year winter, the Carian royal family remained safe until the land was attacked, separated and was sent away throughout all Narnia by two powerful mages of the council, Emyr and Freya. The two of them sinked the lands of Liurnia in a flooding zone, where houses and villages sunk down. Even though the royal family was no more, the descendants and mages kept living on.

Ranni, with her own will, protected and hid the sorcerers in the remaining lands of Liurnia and in the lone islands of the ocean. She sealed the Academy of Raya Lucaria away and she limited the entrance, only to the born mages that can learn magic.

Caria Manor was eventually conquered by pirates (Telmarines) and Ranni still awaited for years, for the last royal descendant of the Carian Family, to show up and take up the responsibility of ruling Caria.

Ranni was so self disappointed with her inability to protect her people and her tears shaped the first legendary "Moontree", the most beautiful and rare tree in Narnia that grows with the tears of powerful sorceress. Ranni oath swore with this tree that the next person who will manage to shape a Moontree, either royal or poor, either graceful or malign she would rise them as the upcoming ruler of Caria Manor, to continue the generation. No matter what she would have to sacrifice Ranni still awaits for the new Moontree to rise...

~TIMELINES~

Creation:

• The Moon is Given to Ranni the Witch for protection

• The Council of the Five Sorcerers who came from another world in Narnia, Jadis, Verthier, Rawena, Emyr and Freya is created in the North.

204:

• The Carian Family is Created, with the first queen placed being Rennala in the palace of Caria ruling the sorcerers.

• The Academy of Raya Lucaria is eventually created for those who can manage magic.

•898:

• The Witch sisters, Jadis and Verthier return from the North to Narnia

• The sorceress Rawena moves to Calormen

•950:

• The Carian Family is separated, and is sent away in Limgrave.

• Sorcerers Emyr and Freya curse the lands of Liurnia in a flooding zone, where houses and villages sinkdown.

• The Academy of Raya Lucaria is attacked by Pirates (Telmarines) and gets locked and sealed by Ranni the Witch.

• Ranni oath swears to establish the next king, as the one who will manage to achieve the growth of the Moontree.

So yeah. That’s it :)

•The World Building Map:

#elden ring #narnia fans #narnia #elden ring ranni #ranni the witch #crossover #world building #worlds collide #this just popped into my head #fantasy #Narnia crossover

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edensrose · 9 months

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. ˚◞♡ 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕◞ ₊˚﹕lo, manwë súlimo clad in sapphires, ruler of the airs and wind, is held lord of gods and elves and men, and the greatest bulwark against the evil of melko

. ˚◞♡ 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔◞ ₊˚﹕

˚◞❀˳ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘦◞ꕥ

꒰ he can't help it, you're just so pretty to look at ꒷꒦ imagine ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬◞ꕥ

꒰ you decide to play the 'I want a baby prank' on him ꒷꒦ texts ꒷꒦ ft. valar ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬?◞ꕥ

꒰ you're at a party and you ask him to hold your drink ꒷꒦ imagine ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘯𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴?◞ꕥ

꒰ you adore messing with him, so you decide to dodge his kisses ꒷꒦ imagine ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬◞ꕥ

꒰ seems like he forgot what knocking is and walks in on you changing ꒷꒦ imagine ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯◞ꕥ

꒰ he really tries not to, alas he can't help but get a bit jealous ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ ft.ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦?◞ꕥ

꒰ he knows it's silly, but he can't help to see green with your ex around ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴◞ꕥ

꒰ he just so happens to walk in on you crying ꒷꒦ imagine ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

. ˚◞♡ 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒇𝒇◞ ₊˚﹕

˚◞❀˳ 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘵◞ꕥ

꒰ manwë's young heart flutters when he sees you in the timeless halls ꒷꒦ drabble ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴◞ꕥ

꒰ he's so comfortable, how could you not fall asleep on his lap? ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘵𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘵◞ꕥ

꒰ you gift him the news of your successful pregnancy ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ ft. valar ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦◞ꕥ

꒰ manwë can't bring himself to abandon the spawn of his brother and so raises them himself ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘴◞ꕥ

꒰ he wakes up to you lost in nightmares and comforts you ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ valar ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴◞ꕥ

꒰ manwë súlimo is the type of lover to. . . ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘩◞ꕥ

꒰ how he acts with his chubby-faced s/o ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒱ ₊˚⊹

. ˚◞♡ 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕◞ ₊˚﹕

˚◞❀˳ 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦◞ꕥ

꒰ manwë finds himself at the foot of utumno, begging the one he calls brother to return ꒷꒦ drabble ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 ◞ꕥ

꒰ it's something that he has always feared, losing you ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶◞ꕥ

꒰ tragedy strikes a day before you can wed the man that you love — manwë. and all thanks to a debt. turns out that in order to pay for their sins, your family gives you up to none other than a notorious name in the business world: melkor, who has taken quite the liking to you. what happens when you're forced to break things off with your fiance with but a text? ꒷꒦ modern au ꒷꒦ 2.5k ꒷꒦ ft. melkor ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘢 𝘥𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴◞ꕥ

꒰ what was once a friendly training duel between you and your king has now morphed into a duel of hearts — with none other than the new dark lord ꒷꒦ dark!manwë ꒷꒦ drabble ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘦◞ꕥ

꒰ after witnessing his fall from grace, you take it upon yourself to put a stop to manwë's corruption. the result? going against the vala you've served for eons, in a sword duel ꒷꒦ dark!manwë ꒷꒦ drabble ꒱ ₊˚⊹

. ˚◞♡ 𝒔𝒎𝒖𝒕◞ ₊˚﹕

˚◞❀˳ 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵◞ꕥ

꒰ melkor decides that it's about time he teaches his brother a thing or two about pleasuring a women, what better way to practice than on his doll of a maia? how could you possibly pass up a chance at being bedded by two valar? ꒷꒦ 2.9k ꒷꒦ ft. melkor ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦◞ꕥ

꒰ surely your beloved wouldn't mind a few dirty texts while he's a work, right? ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯?◞ꕥ

꒰ you decide to surprise your lover by asking him to join you in the shower ꒷꒦ imagine ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘴◞ꕥ

꒰ ever wondered what his cum tastes like? ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦◞ꕥ

꒰ manwë decides he could spare a few more minutes if it means making you cum all over his desk ꒷꒦ modern au ꒷꒦ drabble ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘢 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳◞ꕥ

꒰ your first time with the elder king ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮◞ꕥ

꒰ after what appeared to be another stressful meeting of the valar, manwë seeks you out as a means to let off some steam ꒷꒦ 1.4k ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱?◞ꕥ

꒰ he just so happens to stumble in on you touching yourself. . . and decides to watch ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳◞ꕥ

꒰ you find yourself bedded by the elder king's herald, with manwë instructing him just how to fuck you ꒷꒦ 1.5k ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘶◞ꕥ

꒰ you just so happen to accidentally summon an incubus ꒷꒦ multiwork ꒷꒦ ft. valar ꒱ ₊˚⊹

. ˚◞♡ 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌◞ ₊˚﹕

˚◞❀˳ 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 & 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴◞ꕥ

꒰ yandere alphabet with manwë ꒷꒦ headcanons ꒷꒦ 1k followers event ꒱ ₊˚⊹

˚◞❀˳ 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘶◞ꕥ

꒰ the ever deadly, ever-charming leader of one of the most renowned mercenary syndicates in arda takes an interest in you ꒷꒦ dark!manwë ꒷꒦ multiwork ꒷꒦ ft. ainur ꒱ ₊˚⊹

#˚◞❀˳ 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 ﹕ manwë masterlist ꒱ ₊˚⊹#manwë súlimo #manwe sulimo #tolkien #the silmarillion #tolkien x reader #ainur #ainur x reader #manwe x reader #manwë x reader #writing #x reader #reader insert

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artaniys · 1 month

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Elves all had magical abilities. They were not just all equal in talent, like us humans, and they didn't have all the same level of learning. The Eldar, those who went to Aman, were instructed in "skill" directly by the Valar, so they were much more learned. Also, those who had seen the Light of the Trees were deemed more powerful only by that fact:

Great power Melian lent to Thingol, who was himself great among the Eldar, for him alone had seen with his own eyes the Trees in the days of their flowering and King though he was of Úmanyar, he was not accounted among the Moriquendi, but with the elves of the light, mighty upon Middle-Earth. (The Silmarillion, "Of Thingol and Melian" )

This implies that only seeing the Trees gave magical power.

Galadriel is also from that category, being a specially gifted and strong-minded Ñoldo who had seen the Trees. Elrond from his part is not a real Eldar because he never went to Aman, but he was from great lineage and had been raised by high Elves, so he had much knowledge and much wisdom, but not on par with Galadriel.

In LotR, she is the only Elven ruler remaining to have seen Aman, and I don't remember any other Elf mentioned in the story to have seen Aman.

Galadriel is one of the last of an ancient people called the Ñoldor still living in Middle Earth. The history of the Ñoldor is the subject of the majority of the Silmarillion and, while Galadriel comes into it only briefly, the achievements of the Ñoldor can give us some insight into Galadriel's influence and power.

Power

I've noticed that in the following, I talk about this nebulous term "power" quite often; let's spend a little time defining that.

In Tolkien's world, there are two 'layers' of reality, the primary world, and the secondary world. The secondary world is what Aragorn ( in the films ) meant when he said

"He's passing into the shadow world. He'll soon become a wraith, like them".

Elves, wraiths, and other supernatural creatures dwell largely in this secondary world, and this is where most of their power lies. It's the world that Frodo saw when he was dying from the stab wound from the Nazgûl blade, that's why Arwen appeared to glow when he looked at her. In the books, it's described thus:

With his last failing senses Frodo heard cries, and it seemed to him that he saw, beyond the Riders that hesitated on the shore, a shining figure of white light; and behind it ran small shadowy forms waving flames, that flared red in the grey mist that was falling over the world.

The shining figure is the Elf-lord Glorfindel; the shadowy ones are Aragorn and the hobbits. It seems that fire also exists strongly in the secondary world, which is why the Nazgûl fear it.

This Power takes many forms, but in general it can be seen as the ability to shape the world to your will in some way or another. This may mean great skill at making things, or enormous charisma, or great physical strength; or, in some cases, all of them at once.

The Ñoldor

The Ñoldor were perhaps the most powerful people ever to walk Middle-earth. The Silmarillion, the great history that underlies the Lord of the Rings, is largely an account of their deeds and their history. To give you an idea of what they could accomplish:

The palantiri, the seeing-stones, were crafted by the Ñoldor; Gandalf speculated that they were made by Fëanor, the greatest craftsman who has ever lived. Fëanor was Galadriel's half-uncle ( that is, her father was Fëanor's half-brother ).

Thorin's sword Orcrist was forged by Noldor smiths.

Gandalf's sword Glamdring, which he used to fight the balrog and throughout LotR, was also made by Ñoldor smiths.

Frodo's sword Sting was a trifling example of the craft, but was made by the Ñoldor.

The Rings of Power, including the Nine Rings of the Nazgûl, the Seven rings of the Dwarves, and the Three of the Elves, were all made by the Ñoldor, though with the help of Sauron.

Rivendell was among the last realms where Ñoldor could be found in significant numbers.

The Ñoldor are, in short, a Big Deal. Galadriel is accounted one of their leaders.

Galadriel's History

Living in Valinor

In brief, the first of the Elves who awoke on Middle-earth were persuaded to travel into the West and live with the Valar, effectively the gods of Middle-Earth. Some Elves grew tired or afraid on the journey west and remained in Middle Earth, but most made the journey all the way to the land of the Valar. They were divided into three groups or tribes: the Vanyar, the Ñoldor, and the Teleri.

In Valinor, the Elves reached the pinnacle of their abilities. Galadriel was born during this time, the granddaughter of the King of the Ñoldor.

Leaving Valinor

In time, Melkor, the first Dark Lord, and Sauron's old boss, planted suspicion in the hearts of the Ñoldor, making them think that they were being imprisoned in Valinor. Galadriel's half-uncle Fëanor, eventually led a large portion of the Ñoldor to leave Valinor in pursuit of Melkor. Galadriel went with them, and we hear that:

Galadriel, the only woman of the Ñoldor to stand that day tall and valiant among the contending princes, was eager to be gone... the words of Fëanor concerning Middle-earth had kindled in her heart, for she yearned to see the wide unguarded lands and to rule there a realm of her own will.

Galadriel through the Three Ages

The First Age

At length the Ñoldor came to Middle-earth, drove back the servants of Melkor ( now renamed Morgoth ), and established their own realms. The Ñoldor were noted as being stronger, wiser, more skillful, and more powerful than the Elves who had remained in Middle-earth.

This was the time that the power of the Elves was at its height, the heroic age when legends were made. Galadriel remains the only woman mentioned as a leader of the Elves in this time.

Near the end of the First Age, the Ñoldor kingdoms were overrun by Morgoth, and many of their leaders were killed.

The Second Age

At the end of the First Age, the western lands where the Elves had settled were largely destroyed by the war between the Valar and Morgoth. Most of the leaders of the Ñoldor were already dead; many of the Elves now chose to leave Middle-earth and return to Valinor. Galadriel, however, took a portion of the Ñoldor east, and with her husband Celeborn founded the Elven kingdom of Eregion.

Eregion was the last great kingdom of the Ñoldor. Here the Rings of Power were forged, though Galadriel distrusted the being who called himself Annatar and taught them to make Rings. Her distrust was well-placed, since Annatar was Sauron.

Eventually, Galadriel left Eregion to take up the rule of Lothlórien; and there she remained, until the time of Lord of the Rings.

That, then, is the short version of Galadriel's history. Her great power and wisdom come from her history, being born in heaven and having lived through the greatest legends of Middle-earth. She's older than any other leader in Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit ( except for Cirdan, the shipwright, but he never does much ). She is in many ways a relic of a bygone age, a memory of what the Elves could do at their peak.

The Ring

Galadriel bears one of the Three, the pure rings that the Elves made without Sauron's personal help. The power of the Three is to preserve and remember, so it is likely that the ring helps her maintain her native power, keeping her at her peak.

Sauron

Sauron is a Maia, one of the servants of the Valar. He is a being far beyond any elf or human, an angelic spirit that once helped to build Middle-earth in the very beginning. He has by this time lost much of his native power, pouring a lot of it into the ring, squandering more in creating servants, but he is still formidable. The Valar forbade any of their people from fighting Sauron directly, since last time they tried something like that it destroyed a continent.

All things considered, the banishment of Sauron from Dol Guldur was a great achievement for any individual ( while it's true, as comments have pointed out, that Sauron planned to flee and return to Mordor, he also most likely could not have withstood Galadriel if he wanted to ); Galadriel is one of the few who could possibly have driven him out.

#RE: POWER.

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serene-faerie · 1 year

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RGG/Middle Earth (ficlet)

@sadkois @majimemegoro @iheart-nishiki

I wrote a mini LOTR/Silmarillion crossover one-shot, with Nishiki as an elf prince. For context, I was kind of inspired by the Silmarillion for Elf Prince!Nishiki, and my overall vision for this kind of AU is that Nishiki starts out with his cold, bitter personality from Kiwami, but after a lot of trauma, he decides to destroy his memories and puts himself to sleep. Then he wakes up after centuries, when he meets Kiryu, and he basically starts over and has a redemption arc that makes him much kinder.

But here's a little ficlet that shows Kiwami!Nishiki as an elf prince. Let me know what you think of it!

It had been a long, vicious battle– one that would never be forgotten in all the ages of the world.

The battlefield was strewn with corpses of elves, orcs, horses, and other beasts. The air was heavy with the stench of blood. The Dark Lord’s forces stood no chance against the skill of the elves, but their victory came at too great a cost.

Akira Nishikiyama, Prince of the Noldor, stared down at the jewel in his hand. Colored a pale gold, it glittered even without the light of the stars shining down on it. It burned in his hand– too pure and holy for his blood-stained palms.

Once, Nishikiyama would have given anything to get it back from the Dark Lord. This jewel was one of his finest creations– one of three jewels that shone with the Light of Valinor. Nishikiyama had made many creations, but these gems were his pride, his greatest achievement. They symbolized the strength of his kingdom– an artifact to prove his worthiness in leading the Noldor from Valinor to Middle Earth.

And now they were the very thing that destroyed his kingdom.

It was these jewels that the Dark Lord had coveted and stolen-- after winning his trust and whispering lies into Nishikiyama's ears. It was these gems that had driven Nishikiyama to swear an oath to take them back– an oath that brought nothing but chaos and destruction for all the elves. And it was these jewels– and his own cursed oath –that brought about the downfall of his own kingdom.

“So it was all for nothing,” he spoke with tears in his eyes. “Everything I did… everything I sacrificed… and this is what it has led to.”

His kingdom was in ruins. The kingdom that rose to power under his rule was gone because of his pride and ambitions.

“Your Highness.”

Shindo approached him. “It’s getting dark. We have to leave now.”

Nishikiyama shook his head. “You lead them, Shindo,” he said wearily. “I’m not fit to lead them.”

“My Prince?”

“Because of me, the kingdom is ruined,” Nishikiyama continued bitterly. “My ambitions, my pride… it’s destroyed our home.”

He turned to Shindo. “I’m not worthy of being your ruler anymore,” he continued. “Take them anywhere where the Shadow won’t reach them.”

“What about you?” Shindo asked him.

“I don’t know where I'll go,” Nishikiyama said. “But thank you, Shindo. Thank you for everything.”

He walked away, and Shindo didn’t stop him.

With the jewel in hand, Nishikiyama staggered to the shores of the Great Sea. He glared out at the waves, and with every ounce of venom he could muster, he hurled the jewel as far as he could into the deep-blue waters. A tear slid down his face despite himself, and he let out a shaky breath as he closed his eyes.

It was done. His greatest creation was gone.

Where he would go, he had no idea. Nishikiyama couldn’t return to Valinor now– he had too much blood on his hands. And he wasn’t going back to the Noldor– not after his own ambitions ruined their chances of returning to Aman.

In the end, he was all alone.

But it was the perfect punishment for him and his ambitions, for his mistrust towards the Valar, for his foolishness in trusting the Dark Lord.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He wandered for nearly two hundred years in solitude. Seasons came and went, and the world changed around him, but Nishikiyama didn’t stop his wandering. He traveled through the realms of Men, taking refuge for a short time before leaving immediately. He wasn’t interested in rebuilding his kingdom anymore– his ambitions had finally cooled down.

But the remainder of the Great Enemy’s forces were trying to find him. They were going to corrupt him, turn him into yet another servant for the Dark Lord– no doubt to force him to craft things for him.

Nishikiyama would rather throw himself into the Great Sea than go into the Shadow. He wasn’t going to take refuge in the elven realms– that was just asking for disaster. But he couldn’t lead an army to the east. No one would want to march under an elf who brought about the fall of his own kingdom. And he couldn’t leave Middle Earth anymore– the Valar would never let him back into Aman.

There was only one other choice left. He would have to hide himself.

And there was someone who could help with that.

It took several more days, but Nishikiyama finally reached the golden trees of Lórien– the realm of Seong-hui.

He was met with arrows pointed at him, but Nishikiyama swallowed his pride and got down on his hands and knees before the Marchwarden.

“I need help,” he pleaded. “Please, let me speak to Lady Seong-hui.”

Despite his reluctance, Joon-gi Han led him to the Lady of the Wood.

Seong-hui was less than pleased to see him here– understandably so. However, she listened to Nishikiyama’s plight.

“His men are on the hunt for me,” Nishikiyama explained. “But there’s nowhere I can go without them following me. And I cannot go back to Valinor anymore. Which means that there’s one option left for me.” He bowed his head. “I want to get rid of my memories.”

“What?!” Seong-hui looked at him in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” Nishikiyama said firmly. “I’m going to destroy my memories and put myself to sleep. It’s the only way to atone for everything I’ve done.”

Despite her reluctance, Seong-hui relented. She presented him with a small crystal vial, filled with a light-blue elixir.

“Drink this, and your memories shall be erased,” she explained. “It works within an hour of consumption, so do not drink it immediately.”

“I would recommend putting some distance between yourself and Lórien before consuming it,” Han told him. “There’s a pack of orcs that’s been tracking you, so you need to leave as soon as you can. And make sure they lose your scent when you leave."

Nishikiyama accepted it. And then, despite knowing the consequences, he made yet another oath with Seong-hui, who swore on the lives of her people to never reveal his identity to him, should he ever wake up again.

And that brought Nishikiyama to a cave in the Trollshaws Forest.

The forces of the Dark Lord were still tracking him. It was a miracle that he hadn’t been caught yet. But his luck was running out, and it wouldn’t be long before they came to the forest.

Nishikiyama entered the cave, letting the darkness swallow him whole. He came to the base of what looked like a large tree trunk, then sat down on the cold, hard ground. He held up the elixir as his mind was suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of memories.

Yuko, his sickly younger sister who was taken far too soon. All the insults and sneers he faced during every goddamn council. Every moment that Jingu had whispered doubts and suspicion into his mind. His kingdom, once a shining city for the elves, now destroyed because of his own pride and ambitions.

He uncorked the vial with trembling hands. Tears spilled down his face as he stared at the elixir within.

He didn’t want to do this. But he had to– for his sake, and for the sake of the elves.

“The responsibility is mine,” he whispered with a bitter smile. “You will never have me, Lord of the Dark.”

He drank the elixir.

#yakuza #yakuza kiwami #akira nishikiyama #nishikiyama akira #ryu ga gotoku #ryu ga gotoku kiwami #rgg #rgg kiwami #lord of the rings #lotr #the silmarillion

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aravas-writing · 2 months

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A venture through the Realms

The Elven folk

Ah, the elves. A wondrous and mysterious people since time immemorial, even Fradeo Mellys does not dare speak overly ill of them. They are humanity's oldest allies, even if the bonds were often frayed.

Once, the elves ruled over an empire that, if we take the elves' word for it, far surpassed any other empire in the world in its splendor and greatness. Indeed, independent sources state that it expanded throughout most of the continent, both aboveground and subterranean. Its riches are, at least in part, owed to the legendary art of gem-weaving.

This begs the question: How did it come to this? How was the greatest empire of the continent reduced into three factions, its power so vastly diminished one could not believe it had ever been this expansive?

Mellys has a handwave for an explanation here: He cites an "innate ineptitude of any non-human race at maintaining an empire". This line of thinking is, naturally, so inane that I refuse to entertain it.

As an unintended consequence of me taking a copy of Mellys' own work with me, I may have ended up overzealous. The leading thought was to show why my travels and inquiries were necessary.

Instead, Fradeo Mellys has ended up on a Wanted list. For that, I believe I owe an apology.

Regardless: the elves have splintered into three subfactions after their empire shattered. The reason for this, I will elaborate on shortly, as it has only been revealed to me after I had visited all three people.

The Lorekeepers

The most traditional and isolationist of the three factions. They are often referred to as High Elves, due to "their noses sticking up so high", according to some. Much as Diranis may try to deny it, the elves are magically superior, in part due to an innate affinity towards magic. This, coupled with the fact that their culture existed before most others, has given them a sense of arrogance, displaced as it may seem now.

Their former capital city, Eldnahal, has been walled off by an impenetrable barrier. This much is known to any adventurer foolhardy enough to brave the travel through the Greenhouse Woods, though the origin of the barrier has been unknown to most other races.

The Lorekeepers are immensely isolationist: I have only been granted one brief conversation with one of their number. She told me in no uncertain terms that humans cannot comprehend the way of life of their kind.

As far as I am aware, they behave like particularly obsessive librarians.

The Communists

This faction calls the far reaches of the Greenhouse Woods its home. Rather than a central governing body, its entire way of life is the realized way of existence as postulated by Lamarck the Dreamer: There is no political body whatsoever. Rather, the entire existence of these elves is limited to self-sustaining communes where they grow everything they need to live.

The Communists themselves do not mind the moniker "Wood Elf".

My host, Sanista, could not tell me the reason for the Empire's fall but was much more interested in telling me a different story over a pipe of starleaf. While illegal contraband in Diranis, wood elves have naturally no such scruples, as "it is natural".

Regarding the story: their people had ventured into the woods during the Splintering of the Empire, determined to erect their own utopian way of life. To organise their first steps, the wood elves elected a council of their best, to lead them towards their utopia. This council of greats swore an oath: to lead them well and to lay down power when the communes were done.

However, one of their number had great ambitions and did not want to relinquish power. They schemed and conspired, to become the sole ruler of the wood elves. However, their comrades were not idle, nor were they stupid. The conspirator was found out and promptly killed.

It is unthinkable what could have happened, if history took a different turn.

The Reformists

Commonly known as dark elves, their appearance has changed in comparison to the other factions. This is in part due to their majorly subterranean life near magical crystals the size of a grown dragon as a light source. However, some of their number have also settled on the Sun-kissed Islands. As such, their skin colouration ranges from an aesthetically pleasing chocolate brown to an eerily fascinating ash grey.

This faction disavows the Old Ways and is the most antagonistic towards the Lorekeepers, who they consider to be absurd and backwards-minded. This is also the reason why I managed to find out the reason for the Splintering in the first place: the Reformists see little shame in admitting to mistakes of the past and prefer looking towards the future.

The cause for the Splintering is simple: everyone went collectively insane for a bit.

The last elven empress had eloped, leaving the throne vacant. In an attempt at legitimising themselves, a variety of elves simulated the blessings of the gods upon themselves. This "era of idiocy", as my gracious host Emesilla had described it, was compounded by a brief and embarrassing war against the Megathera, a diplomatic incident involving the goblins as well as a variety of inanities that remind the historically savvy of the Diranian Donkey War.

Of all things to finally trigger the Splintering, it was the gods themselves. They came down upon the world to chastise the elves and drive them out of their city, leaving the Blessed City of Eldnahal sealed.

It appears natural that the Lorekeepers prefer to keep this knowledge hidden and it seems counterproductive of me to reveal this here. However, at the risk of appearing eccentric, I must confess: I want to be on the Lorekeepers' Wanted list.

Regarding the general culture of the Reformists: they are intensely xenophilic, adapting anything they seem even remotely beneficial. Independent of this, it is "in style" to "partner" with someone of a different race for sexual and romantic relations.

My host certainly attempted to tempt me into staying, though I knew that if I had given in even once, I would not have been able to leave. This quality, perhaps, is the most dangerous aspect of visiting the Reformists.

Without a doubt, it delayed my own departure from Hornwood by a few weeks.

(the savvy reader may have noticed that the communists here have successfully reached Stage 2 of the Communist Way. This is because they killed their Stalin/Pol Pot/ Ho Chi Minh/whoever the fuck communist dictator, you get the idea. And even then, it was pure dumb luck)

#a venture through the Realms #original story #original work #fantasy

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sotwk · 1 year

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Thranduil's Royal Title

Thranduil i-Melaith, Aran i-Thewair a Hedhil

Translated from Sindarin: Thranduil the Mighty, King of the Forests and Elves

It's been on my writer to-do list for a while to devise a full, formal regnal title for the Elvenking to use in my stories. You know, the title that is announced by by his herald or steward whenever he makes his entrance at court or functions, whether in the Woodland Realm or outside realms. (Famous example: Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, etc, etc.)

I thought hard about it, and I don't believe Thranduil is the type of royal to collect or demand complex titles (he was reluctant to take his father's crown to begin with), but his councilors established one for him to abide by protocol.

The title is plain and straightforward (compared to the fancy ones from Game of Thrones), focusing more on what the Elvenking IS or means to his people, rather than his personal accomplishments.

"King of the Forests and Elves" was the same title taken by and held by Oropher, and was inherited by Thranduil when he ascended the throne.

The title is in Sindarin instead of Silvan so that it could be understood more widely in places beyond the Woodland Realm, and also to honor the Sindar background and bloodline of the House of Oropher.

(I am definitely not an expert in Tolkien languages, so I consulted a Sindarin expert for this title translation.)

"Thranduil i-Melaith, Aran i-Thewair a Hedhil"

Thranduil's royal title, broken down in parts, is explained as follows:

i-Melaith ("The Mighty"): This title is Thranduil's alone, and he was referred to as such even in his days as the Prince of the Woodland Realm. He was the strongest elf and greatest warrior the Silvan elves had encountered since the Elder Days, something Thranduil indisputably demonstrated to them from the onset. By calling Thranduil this, the Wood-elves also declare their trust in him to protect them and their homeland.

Aran i-Thewair ("King of the Forests"): This title establishes the Elvenking's dominion over the entire territory of the Woodland Realm, the very trees themselves, and all creatures who dwell within. Obviously there are forests other than Greenwood the Great, but to the Wood-elves, Greenwood is the only forest that matters, and there is only one king that governs it.

a Hedhil ("and Elves"): Calling Thranduil (and before him, Oropher) "The Elvenking" or "King of Elves" does not mean he is the ruler of ALL elves in Middle-earth--just of the "elves of the forest" (aka Greenwood). However, the title does honor him as a ruler chosen and embraced by Elves to be their King (I repeat; not just "Lord" or "Lady"--"KING"). To the Silvans of the Woodland Realm, there is only one ruler they acknowledge and whose authority they will submit to.

Arathawar ("Forest King"): A separate title of its own, one less formal and organically given especially to Thranduil (almost like an endearment) by his subjects, who grew to love and honor him even more than they did his father. It became obvious during his years as prince and even more so as king, that Thranduil carried a unique love and connection to Greenwood the Great. He possessed special powers of influence over the forest, as if the land itself acknowledged him as its lord.

Additional headcanon on the significance of Thranduil's rule and its vital influence on the history of Middle-earth:

To outsiders, it may seem like Greenwood simply succumbed and fell into ruin under the influence of the mysterious Necromancer (Sauron), but Thranduil's power and rule did a great deal in containing the Dark Lord's poison, preventing it from overwhelming the entirety of Mirkwood and lands beyond. By protecting his realm for centuries and refusing to give up his dominion as "Forest King", Thranduil prevented Sauron from turning the Woodland Realm into "another Mordor" and perhaps even eradicating or enslaving the Silvan Elves, the Northmen, and others. Maybe popular history should have not have been so quick to write off the accomplishments of Thranduil the Mighty and his people!

Tolkien Headcanon tag list:

@quickslvxr @laneynoir @auttumnsayshi @achromaticerebus @tamryniel @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @blueberryrock @aduialel @glassgulls @ladyweaslette

If you are interested in being tagged on my Thranduil headcanons and/or fics, please see my Tag List Sign Up Form.

For more headcanons: SotWK Headcanon Masterlist

#thranduil #king thranduil #thranduil oropherion #thranduil headcanon #sotwk headcanon #the hobbit #the elvenking

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nenyabusiness · 1 year

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TOLKIEN TLDR: Why did Galadriel REALLY leave Valinor? (The Exile of the Noldor)

In The Rings of Power, they changed this part of Galadriel’s backstory quite a bit. Yes, I guess you could say that “a legion of Elves went to war,” but the full story is a lot darker and less flattering than that. Want to know what really happened the day Galadriel and her kin left Valinor? Here we go.

(Side note: In canon, Valinor is just a part of Aman, but since the show exclusively uses the name Valinor for the entire continent, I’ll do the same.)

In Valinor, there were once three clans of Elves. The Vanyar (Fair-elves) were the most unproblematic of them all, worshipping the Valar (for more info on the Valar, here’s another TLDR) like they were supposed to, doing very little of interest in general. The Teleri (Sea-elves) lived by themselves near the sea, generally minding their own business. Then we have the Noldor (Deep-elves), our main characters in this clusterfuck. Unlike the other clans who were very content with their lives as they were, the Noldor suffered from this little problem called ambition.

Galadriel was half Noldo, half Teleri, but I think we all know which clan she mostly took after.

This story isn’t really about her, though. The main character is actually a Noldo named Fëanor, who took the whole ambition thing to a new level. He was a craftsman, a smith, and a linguist, and he knew how to hold a good speech. In later ages, he would be known as the greatest Elven smith who ever lived.

In a stroke of genius or madness, Fëanor one day decides that he wants to capture some of the light of the Two Trees (remember: no sun and moon yet, just two trees lighting up an entire island) in a more permanent form, which is how he ends up creating the Silmarils. To describe these three gems properly would take all day so I’m just going to say that they were really, really pretty.

This is where Melkor, who would later be known as Morgoth, enters the story as a strong second lead. After three ages of imprisonment (about 3000 solar years, don’t ask me how that works), he tells Manwë, the King of the Valar, that he’s totally sorry for all the havoc he wreaked in Middle-earth and that he won’t do it again. Manwë, who genuinely doesn’t understand how grudges work, lets Melkor go. After a taking a quick look at the Elves, Melkor comes to the conclusion that the Vanyar and the Teleri are too content with their lives to be of use in his revenge scheme. The ambitious Noldor, though? Perfect.

It doesn’t take much for Melkor to win the Noldor over. He earns their trust and affection by teaching them new things and helping them improve their craftmanship—and he, of course, uses that trust to slowly turn them against the Valar. He slowly convinces them that they are in fact trapped in Valinor, forced into servitude by the envious Valar. He tells them that if they had stayed in Middle-earth, they would have been rulers of their own domains, free do to whatever they wished, servants to no one. He’s obviously lying, but it’s a strong pitch.

Though not for the lack of trying, Melkor never manages to sway Fëanor, because Fëanor only listens to Fëanor. He doesn’t want Melkor’s advice, and honestly, he doesn’t need it. He was dreaming about power and freedom long before Melkor was released. On top of this, he now has this growing urge to protect the Silmarils from anything and anyone going on. Even if Melkor had remained imprisoned, Fëanor would probably have gone off the rails at some point anyway.

Melkor and Fëanor don’t get along, but they have one thing in common: they love the Silmarils way too much for their own good. Is this going to turn into a problem? Yes. Yes it is.

The Valar eventually figure out that Melkor is the culprit behind the Noldor’s strange behavior. Melkor makes a run for it and joins forces with a spider-like creature called Ungoliath, the ancestor of Shelob from Lord of the Rings. Together, they sneak into Valinor and attack the Two Trees. Ungoliath sucks the light out of them, and darkness falls over Valinor. During their escape, they drop by Fëanor’s place and steal the Silmarils, killing his father Finwë, King of the Noldor, in the process. The Silmarils have officially claimed their first life.

Fëanor does not take this well. He calls Melkor the Black Foe of the World, Morgoth for short, which is the name that Melkor would always be referred to as after that.

As I mentioned earlier, Fëanor knows how to hold a speech. He gathers the Noldor, cranks Morgoth’s lies about the Valar up to 11, and starts a full-on rebellion. The Noldor are getting the hell out of Valinor.

If he had just stopped there, The Silmarillion would have been a much shorter novel, but no. He had to go on and swear an oath. Along with his seven sons, he swears the notorious Oath of Fëanor. With the Valar as their witnesses, they all swear to Eru Ilúvatar (God) that they will with vengeance and hatred pursue anyone who would keep a Silmaril from their possession.

No one could have predicted just how horrendous the consequences of that oath would be at the time, but in hindsight, I think everyone can agree that it was a bad idea of epic proportions. Morgoth may be the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, but the Oath of Fëanor is a close second.

Neither of his half-brothers Fingolfin and Finarfin (Galadriel’s dad) swear the oath, but their houses join Fëanor’s rebellion out of solidarity. Some of the Noldor are a little reluctant, while others, like Galadriel, are eager to leave Valinor. Galadriel always disliked Fëanor, but she’s really into the idea of having a domain of her own to rule.

(Fun fact: Fëanor once asked her for a strand of her hair but she turned him down, which is why everyone goes ??? when Gimli gets three.)

The Valar settle on a not-mad-but-disappointed approach to all of this, because hey, if the Elves think they’re powerful enough to take on a being like Morgoth, then sure, have at it, good luck have fun. Fëanor and his sons are banned though. Those maniacs are not allowed to return.

The rebellion rages on. The Noldor are officially leaving Valinor. There’s this one issue though: Valinor is an island (ish), and the Noldor don’t have ships.

Remember the Teleri I briefly mentioned? The clan of Elves who lived near the sea? This is where they become relevant to the story, because unlike the Noldor, they have ships.

Fëanor and his people rush ahead to ask the Teleri to lend them those ships. The Teleri kindly and politely explain that no, their ships are precious to them, and no, they don’t want to play any part whatsoever in this insane rebellion, so the Noldor are going to have to find another way to leave Valinor. Fëanor, who’s gone from overambitious to absolutely unhinged, decides to steal the ships instead. When the Teleri resist, things get really, really ugly.

The Noldor, who had been lowkey preparing for this rebellion for quite some time, came with swords and shields. The peaceful Teleri had basic bows. The slaughter that followed would later be known as the Kinslaying of Alqualondë.

(Most sources say that Galadriel didn’t take part in this. Most sources.)

The Valar are now officially done with the Noldor. In a curse/prophecy that would later be referred to as the Doom of Mandos, the Noldor are told that they are all banned from Valinor now. This is not just a rebellion anymore—it’s an exile. The Exile of the Noldor, even, if you want to use the established name of the event.

The Noldor are now facing a second problem: they have ships, but not enough ships. Not for the whole host, anyway, so… not that much of a problem, according to Fëanor. In a major Dick Move, he fills the ships with as many of his people as he can and then leaves the rest of the Noldor behind. To prevent people from going back (and because of a highly unjustified grudge against Fingolfin), he burns the ships once he reaches Middle-earth. Double Dick Move.

There’s only one route left that the remaining Noldor can take to get to Middle-earth, and that’s the icy passageway/hellscape called Helcaraxë high up in the north. (Like I said, Valinor was an island, ish.) Though the Noldor suffer major losses on this nightmare of a journey, some of them, including Galadriel, make it through to the other side. Under the rule of Fingolfin, she enters Middle-earth.

And there we have it. This is why Galadriel left Valinor.

The Doom of Mandos is lifted after Morgoth’s defeat, but a lot of Noldor, including Galadriel, willingly stay in Middle-earth anyway. This is why I can’t in good conscience call the “Gil-Galad giving Galadriel a golden ticket back to Valinor as a gift” thing a tweak or a canon divergence. The show made that up. Period. In the Second Age, Galadriel could have returned to Valinor whenever she felt like it. She stayed, because she simply didn’t want to go back.

And let’s not forget that our girl did eventually get that domain of hers. Good for her.

Sources: Chapter 3-9 of Quenta Silmarillion and The Unfinished Tales: The History of Galadriel and Celeborn.

#tolkien tldr #The Silmarillion #the lord of the rings #the rings of power #trop #lotr #lore #galadriel #fëanor #might do one covering the full disaster of the Oath of Fëanor #but I'd probably have to go through the entire Sil for that #again #so a big maybe on that

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gffa · 2 years

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”…the Elves are still united under Gil-galad (who is quite possibly the greatest Elven king Middle-earth ever knew and one of the first Elves who didn’t trust Annatar, which is why I’m side-eying the show for this, because Gil-galad’s leadership in Middle-earth was really good)”

Thank you!! The way the show made Gil-Galad come across in the first episode really rubbed me the wrong way. Too much “politician” in a bad way. And what was up with him giving Galadriel the opportunity to sail West?! Gil-Galad does not have the authority to reverse the Valar’s ban.

I'm willing to wait to see how the show actually handles him, especially if we get into the War of the Last Alliance, he's only barely been in a couple of scenes so far, but I'm intensely feeling the lack of his leadership and how he was one of the biggest threats to Sauron because of that leadership and unwillingness to be fooled by Annatar. I also don't know WHAT they were doing with the sailing West scenes, it's unclear, is the show saying that Gil-galad has the authority to decide who does and doesn't sail? Or is it a weird, "Okay, you've earned your rest, we're sending you off West." urging people to sail that's not for/against the Valar's ban? Because the show never establishes that Galadriel has been banned from Valinor, there's nothing of the details of the Noldor's coming to Middle-earth or her reasons for doing so, just that generic "and then the Elves went to war". Is there even a Ban of the Valar in the show? But even then, like, I don't think Gil-galad would want to give/deny that choice to any Elves?? That's something you either feel in your heart/hear the call of the sea or you don't! That's not up to Gil-galad! There's so much unestablished by the show, do they even say for sure that you can't come back once you go to Valinor? Does Elven rebodiment even exist in this show's universe? Is Finrod either in the Halls of Mandos or already alive back in Valinor? The show never touches on any of this and the way Galadriel acts could really go either way, like even if she'll see him again, she'd still be right to be mad that he was murdered. Anyway, I'll give the show a chance, but I am 100% ready to die on the hill that Gil-galad isn't some cold, distant, out of touch ruler, but that he was THE BEST ELVEN KING OF MIDDLE-EARTH, SO MUCH THAT BOTH THE NOLDOR AND THE SINDAR RESPECTED HIM. /plants flag on this hill

#tolkien stuff #rings of power #gil galad

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dialux · 2 years

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Thranduil for headcanons (or 4 pages into a WIP if you don’t have too many hcs for him)

I did not have hcs for him until I started working on this year's TRSB but now I guess I have a lot! Here's a few:

Thranduil was born in the early part of the Second Age, to Oropher, the last living elven descendant of Galathil, and Eregfela, one of the few survivors of Doriath's destruction.

All that Thranduil knows is the safety of Lindon, until his father decides to go east: well north of the last known elven settlements, to the Greenwood. Eregfela refuses to leave Lindon; her loyalty is to her king, and she favors her Noldor king over her Sindar husband.

But Thranduil has always loved the times he's gone to the forests on hunts. He's always loved the sweet song of the green trees, the chill of the damp moss, the sharp crinkle of the leaves under his foot. And to stay in Lindon, to stay in this quiet and this silence- Thranduil tells his mother: It'll be a slow death.

He follows his father, and doesn't look west once the full journey.

And then they reach the leaves of the Greenwood, burning such a bright green it stings their tongues.

Thranduil falls in love. He also falls in love with the elf that takes him hostage, though that takes him a little longer.

Arunima is the only child of Chief Mrinalini of the Silvan elves, who herself is the last descendant of Denethor, last King of the Laiquendi. She takes Thranduil- and Oropher, and their entire retinue, eventually- into custody; threatens them into submitting to her mother's control. In the cold wooden dungeons of Mrinalini's home, Thranduil strikes up a friendship with Arunima- they are both the children of long-lost kings; they are both the heirs to kingdoms that have lost most of their glory; they are not children any longer, but they do not live in an era in which they can prove their strength or their independence.

It takes long months, but finally Thranduil wins enough confidence from Arunima that he won't escape- they go out, sit on a quiet ledge, admire the forest.

I love this land, she tells him. But I have- no wish to rule it.

Is this a land that needs a ruler? asks Thranduil. He smiles, touches her hair, shining like silver stars, and says, I think this forest can rule itself, my lady: all we are is a custodian, for however long the land can bear us.

Arunima tilts her head into Thranduil's hands, but does not speak. That night, when she locks him into his cell, she lingers outside of it: but when he smiles at her, she flushes, and walks away quickly.

They start to go out regularly: weekly, then daily. Arunima still does not kiss him. But they- hold hands, explore the forest, teach each other to bear weaponry. By the time Arunima does kiss Thranduil, it feels- inevitable, more than surprising.

Promise me, she says, when he pulls away. Promise me.

And Thranduil knows what she is asking, and Thranduil knows that he can answer.

Of course, he says. Always.

And beneath the shining stars, they wed.

When Mrinalini dies from a stray orc attack to the south, it is Oropher that takes up the minutiae of caring for the Greenwood, while Thranduil and Arunima go south, to study and learn from her Avari kin. When Oropher dies at Dagorlad, Thranduil and Arunima become custodians of the Greenwood in equal measure: rulers in equal part.

Legolas' birth is their greatest joy, born into the peace of the early Third Age.

And then- the dragon comes.

It burns Erebor to ash. And amid the ash of all the shattered dwarves, there is another: the burned bones and ash of a once-queen of the elves that had never been a queen, that only bore the title of queen for lack of another, more accurate title.

Arunima dies, and Thranduil burns, burns, burns alive.

Decades later, when a young guard-captain falls in love with a prisoner who shares her love of starlight, Thranduil does not soften anywhere except for the burning in his heart, which has never forgotten the long years of his courting and wooing and marriage: no matter how hard he tried to forget it.)

#my writing #thranduil #silvan elves #silmarillion #the hobbit #allegoriesinmediasres #hope you enjoyed it <33

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hordebreaker · 1 year

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day 2 - favourite character of favourite race

Couldn't choose one:

Fandral Staghelm, later Majordomo Staghelm, was the former Archdruid of Darnassus, succeeding Malfurion Stormrage after he was lost in the Emerald Nightmare. Fandral played a key role in the War of the Shifting Sands, but lost his only child. His planting of Andrassil unintentionally induced the later appearance of the Emerald Nightmare. He was one of the architects of the plan to create Teldrassil, and believed that the future of the night elves demanded more expansionism and military planning. His radical beliefs and aggressive demeanor often led him to quarrel openly with the High Priestess, Tyrande Whisperwind. After it was revealed that he had been corrupted by the Nightmare Lord and had prolonged Malfurion's absence, Fandral eventually descended into madness and was imprisoned by the Cenarion Circle. He was later captured by the Twilight's Hammer cult on route to Moonglade from Mount Hyjal and turned into the first Druid of the Flame, becoming the new Majordomo of the Firelands, until he was killed during the final battle against Ragnaros the Firelord. Malfurion Stormrage was the first mortal druid on Azeroth, and the night elf who initiated the mainstream use of druidism among the kaldorei people ten millennia ago under tutelage of the demigod Cenarius. He is the twin brother of Illidan Stormrage, as well as the loving and beloved husband of the high priestess of Elune, Tyrande Whisperwind. Together, the two have represented the highest leadership of the night elves ever since the fall of Queen Azshara and her Highborne caste. Through Malfurion's guidance, the night elves successfully halted the Burning Legion's first invasion of Azeroth during the legendary War of the Ancients. In its aftermath, he became the greatest of the world's archdruids. Illidan Stormrage, commonly known as the Betrayer, is the first of the demon hunters, the former self-proclaimed Lord of Outland, the former ruler of the Black Temple, and the original leader of the Illidari. He is the twin brother of Malfurion Stormrage and was, like his sibling, in love with Tyrande Whisperwind. Originally a powerful night elf sorcerer, Illidan officially betrayed his people by defecting to the demonic Burning Legion during the War of the Ancients, though his reasons for doing so were noble as he secretly aimed to repel the Legion's invasion.[13] He eventually returned to the side of his fellow night elves, but his creation of a second Well of Eternity at the end of the war caused his people to name him "Betrayer" and imprison him in the Barrow Deeps below Mount Hyjal. There he remained for over 10,000 years, watched over by the warden Maiev Shadowsong and her Watchers.

#warcraft25 #illidan stormrage #malfurion #illidan #fandral #fandral staghelm #night elf #night elves #warcraft #world of warcraft

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ladyisabel0052 · 10 months

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Pocket Guide to the Magdal Isles #5 - Alshamal

Been a while since my last post. Oops. This one's about Alshamal, the place in the Isles with the heaviest Arabic flair of them all. Gonna be honest, this one's not really at that fleshed out. I might add more stuff to it later. We'll see.

Alshamal

Key Facts

Official Name: Taifa of Alshamal Demonym: Alshamali Government: Monarchy Capital: al-Mudawwar Religion: Alshamali Cult (Majority)

Alshamal is a nation in the far Eastern reaches of the Isles, spread across the smaller islands that dot the Eastern shores of Greater Magdal. It is the last remaining fully independent nation of Elves in the Isles. The largest island in the Taifa, where the Capital of al-Mudawwar is located, is oftentimes pinpointed as the oldest Elven settlement in recorded History. Its monumental ancient walls stand in stark contrast to the modern palaces contained within.

Relations between Alshamal and the other nations of the Isles are often tense, but peaceful. The lives of Elves are long, and their memories longer, and while the majority of the Alnaas have moved on from the loss of Kurtubah, there are many who still remember a time where the People didn’t live in seclusion in the lesser Isles. Still, overall, the Alshamali face little to no discrimination on neighboring nations, and their cultural fascination with foreign points of view always lends itself to amicable relations with foreign powers.

Life in the Princedom

The Alshamali have a high curiosity towards the rest of the world. Most people in the Princedom can converse fluently in many languages, and travelers willing to settle down are welcomed, and often even incentivised to come seek life in the Princedom. As a result, the Capital of al-Mudawwar is a bustling center of multicultural exchange, mirroring in many ways the Kurtubah of old.

Life in the Princedom is spent either in the cities or the surrounding villages, where vast plantations dot the landscape. The nature of Alshamal’s territory makes sailing a necessity, and travel between islands is frequent. For this reason, Alshamal boasts the greatest navy in the Isles.

The Capital is the main stopping point for travelers coming from the far East beyond the Isles, and as such, its markets abound with foreign goods and spices. A great many foreign traders, especially Monkeyfolk, spend time in al-Mudawwar, before either continuing on to neighboring Kurtubah, or returning home.

Alshamali Politics

In Alshamal, the distinction between those of noble birth and the common folk is present, but the lines are very easily blurred. The Prince’s Court is full of both local and foreign people exchanging knowledge and philosophies, many of which do not belong to the nobility.

The Monarch of Alshamal is called a Prince by foreign rulers, despite being known as King within their borders. The Malik (King) of the Taifa of Alshamal rules from al-Mudawwar, and their Viziers govern the other cities within the Taifa through a system of bureaucratic administration. They are led by the Hajib, who reports directly to the King. The Nobles are expected to perform ceremonial duties and administer each city’s military garrison.

Historically, the Nobles and the Bureaucracy have fought over their rights, and it is not uncommon for a city’s Vizier and Alnabil to have bad blood between them. At the time of writing, the Bureaucracy holds the upper hand over the nobility.

Alshamali Titles of Nobility

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#writing #my writing #worldbuilding #pocket guide

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tathrin · 1 year

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Writing three thousand words of The Definitive* History of Oropher was definitely not on today’s agenda...but here we are, I guess!

*definitive as in the definitive version in my head, not actually “definitive” in any way; obviously 80% of this is pure invention because Oropher barely even appears in the Unfinished Tales and basically nowhere else so we’re not working with a lot of canon here is what I’m saying.

And since I’ve written this nonsense out, I figure I might as well share it because frankly, the world needs more Oropher in it...and I might as well have something to show for my squandered day, even if it’s just an extremely geeky tumblr post about a dead elf-king.

And no I will not be including his deadname or his dead-to-him-after-the-Kingslaying name, because he wouldn’t want me to.

—Under a cut for both length and inevitable later edits—

Oropher was one of the first generation of Teleri, born before the Sun and the Moon were placed in the sky. He followed Thingol (then called Elwë) and his brother Olwë on their slow journey to Valinor but, like the rest of group that had fallen in love with the lands of Beleriand while they waited there, he refused to leave with the Valar when Thingol went missing.

When Thingol returned with his wife Melian, Oropher joined in the building of the Kingdom of Doriath and was from then on one of the Sindar. (At that time he was still going by his first name, but that is not a name recorded in any histories that have survived, so he will heretofore be referred to only by his third name as it is the only one by which he would allow himself to later be known.) He was fascinated and delighted by the strange dwarves who carved the caverns of Menegroth, which Oropher always held were the greatest and most elegant of all dwellings ever built in Middle-earth, even long years after they had been destroyed.

When the Green-elves of Denethor came to Beleriand and established themselves in Ossiriand, which they named Lindon, and brought with them warnings about Orcs and other foul creatures in the north and the east, Oropher was one of the quickest of Thingol's people to arm himself; for he (at that time still believed by all including himself to be a maiden; but the elves did not scorn women from their armies as many later Men did) loved his home and to Oropher love always manifested as a blazing urge to protect more than to possess, so he was determined to defend it against all threats.

It was in that time, before Morgoth destroyed the Two Trees, while the lands of Beleriand were still lit only by the stars, that Oropher fell in love and wed his husband, another elf of Doriath. Their son was born shortly before the Two Trees were destroyed, and Thranduil first opened his eyes in the gloaming before the coming of the Sun and Moon.

The family had many happy years in Doriath under the rule of Thingol and Melian, who were both beloved rulers and dear friends, and Thranduil grew especially close to Celeborn, Thingol's grand-nephew. The two were accounted nearly as close as brothers in those days.

When the First Age brought Finrod and Galadriel to Doriath, Oropher joined in the happy welcome of these long-estranged kin of his lord. It was at this time that he chose a new name, having determined that he would henceforth be an ellon instead of an elleth. Being charmed by the language that the Noldor had brought with them out of Valinor, and one of the few Sindar elves to begin learning it with enthusiasm, he crafted this in Quenya and was for a time quite pleased with it. His husband, too, briefly took a Quenya name, and it is likely that they gave one to their son as well, although no histories now record them.

Young Thranduil was especially taken with the prowess of Galadriel, and was delighted when his dear friend Celeborn married her, although even at that time he considered her less cheerful than she might have been; for in those days darkness had not yet darkened the hearts of the Sindar in Doriath. Indeed, Oropher at first argued with Thingol that the elves of Doriath should have closer ties with the Noldor and fight themselves in the war against Morgoth—although he ceased to make such arguments once the fell deeds of Fëanor and his sons became known.

It was at this point that Oropher abandoned the Quenya name he had given himself, and named himself Oropher instead. This was the name he bore for the rest of his life, and his first two were never spoken again; for the first was no longer suited to him, and the second felt like poison in his ears. Never again would Oropher let any word of Quneya pass his lips, for all that he had once praised the language as being the most beautiful tongue known or spoken.

Even after the truth of the Kinslaying at Alqualondë was revealed, the family of Oropher did not turn aside from their friendship with Galadriel and Finrod, accounting them as having been beguiled by the fell and faithless Feanor rather than judging them for being faithless themselves. They would be less forgiving of future betrayals, however, and would eventually grow estranged even from Celeborn in the years after Doriath's fall and the War of Wrath.

Oropher was left particularly bitter by the betrayal of the dwarves who coveted the Nauglamír, although he and his family survived the Battle of the Thousand Caves. He was left even more bitter, however, by the departure of Melian—whom he had heretofore adored as both queen of Doriath, and wife of his dear friend Thingol—because to him, her departure back to Valinor after Thingol's murder seemed to be yet another betrayal, for were not the people of Doriath hers as well? Should she not have stayed to protect them in Thingol's stead?

It seemed then to Oropher that all things that came from Valinor brought ill with them in the end, even the once-dear Melian, for if she had not left and lifted the Girdle of Melian around Doriath, the dwarves would not have been able to plunder it and kill so many—but all the Valar, it now seemed to Oropher, had no sense of duty or love in their hearts, for it was faithless of Melian to abandon her people in her sorrow over Thingol; surely she could only have done it if she never truly believed the Sindar to be her people at all, but that was no suitable attitude even for a member of a society, let alone a ruler of it. For years after, he would not even speak of his former friend, so bitter was the wound her departure over the Sea left on his heart.

Oropher has never been one to give up on a cause or duty, even when perhaps he ought to; he thus has little respect for those who are less steadfast (or less stubborn) than he, and is especially bitterly disappointed when his friends prove faithless (or sensible).

However, stubborn as he was, Oropher did allow his mind to change when circumstances warranted rather than clinging to old beliefs in the face of new knowledge; his opinion of the Green-elves, who had settled in Ossiriand under Thingol's generosity, had not heretofore been great; he did not dislike them, but he was not impressed by what he saw as their shirking flight from the Orcs in the north and the east and their decision to take refuse in Thingol's lands rather than rally and retake the ones they had left. After the Battle of Sarn Athrad, when the Green-elves helped Beren destroy the dwarves who had plundered Doriath, his opinion of them was raised much higher, and he thought of them henceforth as a brave and stalwart people.

He was pleased when Dior came to Doriath and was one of the peredhel's supporters when he took up the kingship of his grandfather. Oropher let go his bitterness and wrath then for a time in wonder at the renewed glory of Doriath under Dior's rule, although his sorrow for his lost friends never left him (nor did he ever fully forgive Melian for what he saw as her abandonment, although his heart lightened towards her somewhat in these days, and he could at least now remember with happiness the old days with his friends before Thingol died).

After Lúthien's death, when the Necklace of the Dwarves came to Dior, and rumor of the Silmaril within it spread to the Sons of Fëanor, Oropher scoffed at their demands to have the gem returned to them; for ever since word had reached Doriath of the Kinslaying, Oropher had had little love in his heart for any of the Noldor and for those of Fëanor's line least of all; although he had grown close to Galadriel, who was a kinswoman of his friend Thingol, and especially to her husband, Celeborn, who was a particularly dear friend of his son, Thranduil. It was not until the Sons of Fëanor came to Doriath to claim the Silmaril that Oropher's heart hardened against all their kin, including his one-time friend Galadriel; for the blood and the grief of that day never left him.

Oropher's husband was killed in the Second Kinslaying when the Sons of Fëanor assaulted Doriath with a surprise attack in the middle of winter. Oropher himself slew Curufin, although he was grievously wounded in the fight, and was forced by his son to flee bloody and weeping. Thranduil's sword was broken in the battle, but Oropher's sword and that of his murdered husband had been forged in the early days of arming when the Green-elves first brought word of Orcs and other dangers, and both blades remained hale and beautiful through all the ages of the world, despite the elf-blood that now stained them.

Along with some of the other survivors of Doriath, Oropher and his son now made their home in Lindon, and lived there briefly among both Green-elves and Noldor. However, some thirty years after Doriath fell, Maedhros heard that Elwing had survived the Kinslaying at Doriath with the Nauglamír and its Silmaril, and when news of the subsequent slaughter at the Havens of Sirion reached Oropher, he decided to have no more to do with any Noldor and led a small group of elves away from Lindon before the Valar returned to begin the War of Wrath against Morgoth.

Oropher and his small contingent of Sindar elves had no interest in getting involved in "the Valar's fight" or in "the wars of the Noldor," as they termed the current conflict; instead they sought the distant Silvan elves in the east, and there found Greenwood the Great and took refuge there. They were welcomed gladly by the Silvan elves, who had never suffered the bloody betrayals of the Noldor; the Sindar elves who had traveled with Oropher were relieved at the salvation they saw in these wild woods, and abandoned much of the ways of the Sindar in order to cleave themselves to their new Silvan people instead. They deemed the culture of the Silvan elves more natural and more wholesome, for it was free of interference from the Valar, whom many of them now blamed for much of the strife that had assailed them.

Many of the Sindar refugees flung away their swords, happy to think themselves free of the conflicts in which such weapons would be required, and heart-sick at the elven blood that they had been forced to spill during the Second Kinslaying. Oropher, however, kept his sword close, and Thranduil, who now carried the sword of his other father, did as well; they remembered well the lessons of Doriath, which had fallen when the Girdle of Melian was removed from it, and they knew that there were no such powers to protect their wild Greenwood.

The elves of Greenwood the Great did not participate in the War of Wrath, although they were not ignorant of the chaos and danger; even their fair forest was shaken by the upheaval. They kept to their trees, however, and turned away all messengers. At that time, Oropher led some of the Sindar elves to build a great refuge upon Amon Lanc, in case it should be needed: the tower was built both high amidst the huge trees and deep under the tall hill, and was fashioned to much resemble the lost Menegroth; although since it was made without dwarven skill the caverns could not hope to rival that lost magnificence. Its walls were sturdy, however, and its doors thick, and it would serve as a strong refuge that would turn back many an assault with ease; for in addition to its sturdy walls of stone, the citadel of Amon Lanc was festooned with many trees and watch-posts from which sharp-sighted archers might rain peril down on any enemy, and the elves of Greenwood boasted great skill with their short bows.

The native Silvan elves were somewhat bemused by the insistence of their Sindar neighbors that such a structure was necessary, but they were charmed by the craftsmanship of its creation—for they themselves had yet done no stonework or metalwork at that time, and lived in light wooden dwellings among their trees—and the perilous days of the War of Wrath had taught them caution, at least in theory if not in practice, and so they were glad enough to have Oropher's expertise in setting-up a strong place to which they might retreat should danger ever come to their woods.

Amon Lanc was abandoned some centuries later not because it fell to any attacker, but because of encroachment to the south and west by the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the coming of too many Noldor, like Celebrimbor and Galadriel, to Lothlórien. The elves of Greenwood were reclusive, the native Silvan wood-elves having heard many cautionary tales from their new Sindar kin, and the refugees from Doriath having still great bitterness and suspicion in their hearts from all the dark things they had survived. So slowly the Greenwood elves withdrew from the south of their woods, leaving the great citadel of Amon Lanc abandoned to the trees—and later, to the dark and evil things that would claim its mighty walls for their own.

Those evil things did not come to Greenwood for many years, however. Sauron first assailed and overran the lands of the elves in Eregion outside Greenwood's trees in S.A. 1697, and scattered the survivors. Then the Doors of Durin were shut, cutting that kingdom off from the outside world. Greenwood did not interfere, save to draw further north. By the end of the Second Age, the elves of Greenwood dwelt mainly in the western glens of the Emyn Duir, although they still roamed freely through the forest at will, and there was as yet no Shadow over their trees.

Even they could not ignore the fact that Shadow was gathering in the lands outside, however, and while they paid little note to the attacks on Gondor and Imladris, when the Last Alliance of Elves and Men marched over the Misty Mountains in S.A. 3434 and came to the Vales of Anduin, elves from both Greenwood and Lothlórien joined them, the latter led by Amdir. It was at that time that Greenwood the Great took Oropher as a king, although many of the histories written by outsiders assumed that he had claimed kingship shortly after his arrival in their woods; in truth the Greenwood elves had never bothered with kingships or lords the way the High Elves did, for they had never needed one before they went to war.

They chose Oropher then because he was the oldest of the Sindar refugees who had made their home in Greenwood, and the Sindar had experience at war which the Silvan elves did not. It had been Oropher's voice most of all that had pushed for the building of safe strongholds, and had cautioned his people to be wary of the dangers outside their trees, and they trusted in his wisdom and in his bitter history. Oropher had never sought to rule over anyone, having himself been content as a subject of first Thingol and then Dior, and then finding joy in the wild Greenwood where neither kings nor Kinslaying had ever come; but when his people needed a leader to guide them into war, he agreed to shoulder that task.

Calling himself King of Greenwood the Great, rather than merely captain or war-leader, was a choice made out of consideration for the Noldor and Men and Dwarves he knew they would have to ally themselves with; Oropher knew that his people, with their small numbers and scanty arms, would garner little respect from the High Elves at first glance—and he was not about to bow and place himself and his people under the command of the High-King of the Noldor, for all that he had agreed to swallow his pride enough to march to war with them.

And so Greenwood claimed a king, and marched to Mordor behind his banner, and they fought and died fiercely at his side out of love and loyalty rather than from oaths or duty.

Amdír pledged his warriors to Oropher's leadership, rather than Gil-galad's, the Greenwood elves being much greater in number than the Galadhrim from Lothlórien. They were friends of old, and while they had grown distant in recent years when Amdír welcomed many Noldorian exiles to his land and Oropher did not, there was still much trust and affection between them. It was Amdír who first pressed for a swift charge against Sauron's forces, thinking to wipe them out quickly and end the war with a mighty opening blow, but Oropher took to the idea immediately and it was he who argued the strongest against Gil-galad and Elendil's insistence on a more cautious assault.

Oropher died in the Battle of Dagorlad along with over half his army when they, and the Galadhrim, charged the enemy before Gil-galad gave the order for an attack. No one survived to tell whether it was Oropher or Amdír who gave the fatal order to charge prematurely, or whether it was agreed upon mutually by them both, they were in agreement on many things, and it was held likely in later days that they had decided between them that if they led their forces forward, the rest of the army would have no choice but to follow them rather than waiting on the orders of Gil-galad, with whom they had so often clashed.

Rather than retreat and risk taking heavy casualties for no purpose when they realized that Gil-galad was not going to order the rest of the army after them, Oropher and Amdír pushed forward with their doomed attack, hopeful that they might still win a retreat from Sauron's forces, at least, if not a victory; hopeful at least that they might do some damage to his army, rather than fall in vain. Amdír and the Galadhrim were cut off and driven into the marshes, and half of them perished there; the thousands of bodies that would be buried there later earned this place the name of the Dead Marshes, and memories of the tragic slaughter there ever-after haunted those lands.

The rest of the army of the Last Alliance eventually followed the rash charge of the Silvan elves, but too late to save the leaders of the Galadhrim and the Greenwood. The battle they began lasted for many months before Gil-galad and Elendil finally managed to turn the tide and press Sauron's forces back to the Black Gate. Enough of Sauron's forces died in that long battle that the remnants were driven back and besieged, and the surviving Greenwood elves could not help but wonder bitterly if they might have claimed a victory then if the High-King had only followed Oropher when he first charged.

Despite cutting down more than four hundred Orcs, Oropher died in the first onslaught and his son, Thranduil, was left to lead the surviving warriors of Greenwood for the seven years of siege that followed.

When Oropher's body was found in the carnage, he had been pierced by so many blades and was covered in so much blood and gore—both elvish and orcish—that it was only by the gleam of his golden hair that he was recognized. The body of his gon, a Silvan elf of Greenwood named Gilthawen, lay atop him where she had been hacked nearly in two by the enemies' weapons before she fell. Oropher's sword was afterwards presented to his son, but Gilthawen's lighter weapon lay shattered beneath their broken bodies and her hands had been ravaged by the heavy orcish blade she had wrested from her foes to use in its stead.

They were buried together with as much honor as the beleaguered Greenwood warriors could manage in that foul place, along with the rest of the fallen who now lie in the Dead Marshes.

#oropher #thranduil #there are definitely going to be edits this is such a rough draft #that oropher's husband hasn't even gotten a name yet SO #feel free to suggest things or point-out historical errors etc etc #input and discussion are totally welcome here #lotr #greenwood #mirkwood #my stuff #fanfiction #elves

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