#He's gotta be one of my favorite silm characters

[polutrope]

For the character ask game: Can I ask about Finrod and Turgon, both characters, but with all these numbers for both characters? 2, 3 7, 8, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25. Or would it be too much?

Sure, let's try it!

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

Finrod: It's gotta be tearing a werewolf apart with his bare hands and teeth.

Turgon: Morgoth being scared of him specifically.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

Finrod: Answered here.

Turgon: Removing to a Hidden City and apparently not telling anyone who loved him. I prefer to imagine he did tell some people, including his father and brother.

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

Finrod: Answered here.

Turgon: I love to see the shift in Turgon's fandom reception recently. He's proud, he's stubborn, but he's also passionate, he loves fiercely, and he lets those he loves go (Aredhel, Idril to a mortal husband -- Thingol, take note).

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Finrod: Nothing comes to mind. Possibly making him too faultless? But that's me digging deep for a complaint.

Turgon: HAHAHA. How to begin. Flattening him to a humourless and heartless despot. Seems to be something that exists out of a desire for someone to fill that archetype rather than his canon character. That being said, if it's a good story, I can forgive many characterisation crimes.

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Finrod: Recently, a toxic affair with Celegorm. But he's so versatile. Finrod/Maglor is also my go-to This Is Hot ship.

Turgon: Elenwë <3. Though I think he deserves to get shipped around a lot more. He's a sexy man.

16. What's your least favorite ship for this character?

Finrod: This is going to make a lot of my mutuals sad and I am sorry, but I'm just not that invested in Beor/Finrod. I read it still! And I admire and enjoy the wonderful stories people write about it, but I can't imagine being invested enough to want to write it. Things change, though.

Turgon: I feel like he doesn't get shipped enough for me to answer this. I'm happy to see him getting action with most people. Does he get shipped with Maeglin? That would be my answer if he does.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

Finrod: Turgon!!

Turgon: Finrod!!

They are such sweet adventure cousins and city-builders and I hope they are happily reunited in Valinor and hanging out talking about philosophy on a lovely hike through nature.

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don't like?

Can't think of any.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

See Question 18. And they DO NOT share enough screen/page time and it's one of the Silm's many tragedies.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

Finrod: He's a delight to write. Insightful, curious, joyful, and thoughtful. Honestly can't think of anything I don't enjoy about writing him.

Turgon: He's so complicated!! Someone very smart who is always fighting demons -- demons of his grief, his pride, his responsibility. A challenge writing him is not slipping into the fanon characterisation I described above. It is convenient.

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

Finrod: Same things I like about writing him. @cuarthol made me love Finrod and remains my favourite Finrod writer.

Turgon: love reading about his fierce love. @swanmaids and @melestasflight come to mind as favourite Turgon writers and advocates.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

Impossible to pick just one.

Finrod:

I love @melkomelko's Finrod, both the serious and the silly.

This by @myceliumelium captures his heart:

This one by @anattmar

This Finrod and Maglor by @wombywoo is SO Finrod

And I adore the style and vibe of this Finrod by @cuarthol

And finally savage yet peaceful Finrod by hallbeorn

Turgon:

This by @elfinfen

This Turgon and Anaire by @irythyllians

This Turgon and Fingon by @arlenianchronicles

And this by @seasbird (Tumblr cut me off on embedded links...)

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

Like many, I came into the fandom a Feanorian enthusiast through-and-through. I gotta dig waaaay back for my first-time impressions of the Silm, but my recollection is that Finrod and Turgon seemed epic but I wasn't personally invested in them. My old ff.net account appears to have nothing on them.

Thank you for the ask! Character ask game.

[serregon]

🗡️🔮💀 for the ask game?

🗡️ Defend your favorite war criminal (or make them worse - I'm not your mom).

I’ll make them worse because why not. everyone makes Maglor out to be the nicest among the Fëanorians, but what if it was an act? he’s the diplomat, appearing benevolent is his forte. he could kill someone and get away with it by putting on this act

🔮You can reach into the Beyond and ask the Professor to settle one (1) debate for you. He won't even waffle on the answer, honest. What do you ask him?

I already answered this one, but here’s another. I want to know what happened to Tuor. Tolkien said that Tuor “was counted among the Eldar”, but like. what does that mean? did he just become immortal or what??

Maximum chaos bonus question (💀): You have a "Get out of jail 'Doomed by the Narrative' free" card. Who do you give it to?

gotta go with my boy Beleg. none of the deaths in the silm can really be considered fair, but his death is just especially unfair. most characters in the silm die in some sort of battle, and death is kind of to be expected there. but Beleg just got killed by his own best friend who he was trying to save, ouch

[aureentuluva70]

[effervescentdragon]

LOTR OF COURSE :D

love you're a breath of fresh air in all the silm asks and i'm cheating bcs im using only lotr mentioned characters mwahahaha <3 or i'm not cheating? gods idk xD

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most) - im so sorry i gotta go with faramir here. i've felt a kinship with that dude ever since i bloody saw the movies the first time and when i read the books i was so fucking in love i cant even say, but i also dont know why im like this about him. i just randomly sometimes think about that quote of his, whats it like, "i dont believe that any darkness will endure in this hour"? yeah, that. a lot.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped) - MERRY MERRY MERIADOC BRANDIBUCKKKKKK I LOVE HIM HES SO CUTE I HATE HOW CUTE HE IS BUT I LOVE HIM AND HIS STUPID SQUISHY FACEEEEEE

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave) - idk if its just me not seeing that much content, but eowyn. i was so in love with that lady, its not even funny. i understand her on a level that isnt healthy and i just really, really only wanted good things for her since i first saw her. i will never forgive the universe from depriving us from an hours depiction of houses of healing <3

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week) - MY ONE AND ONLY DUMBASS STUPID MOTHERFRICKING GLORFINDEL THE BALROG SLAYER I JUST WANT MORE OF HIM IN LOTR PLEASE LORDS

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave) - goddamn i love saruman and i hate myself for it.

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason) - grima wormtongue. idek why, i know he was supposed to be shown, and is, as this kind of pathetic character that mirrors smeagol, but i would just string him up on a banner idegaf

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell) - movie!gimli, most of the time. motherfuckers. just. all that characterisation gone to hell over some jokes. just. ughhhhhhh

thank you so much for asking love <3

[absynthe--minded]

5,9,15!

5. Something you hate to see in smut.

please, for the love of all that’s holy, if you can’t use Adult Words to talk about a thing don’t talk about it. there are ways to cheekily or carefully allude to things like Naughty Bits and the stuff that happens to them when their owner gets turned on; if you can’t use those just don’t bother. we’re all grown-ups here. talk like it.

you all think I’m exaggerating but the spectre of The Manroot looms large. Johanna Lindsey got paid to write that down.

9. What's your fandom's most overused trope?

The Silm fandom has a lot of tropes that get reused again and again due to fanon so I’m gonna pick my least favorite common trope rather than a single one that I think is too overused. Tbh I’ve gotta go with something I’m gonna call “Everything is Fine in House Finwë” which is like... it’s fine! We’re fine! We get along! We’re all friendly and there’s no animosity until That Evil Melkor came skulking around! Fëanáro wasn’t an arrogant dick and he was a perfectly fine father with no flaws! Finwë wasn’t a bad dad! It’s All Fine!!!!

I see that and it makes me want to sigh, resignedly, forever and ever.

15. We all project onto our characters. Where has your personality or life choices leaked onto the page the most?

oh boy oh boy that’s a Difficult Question because uh [gestures at Blessed Hands] this is basically an emotional autobiography? It’s -

I write about love, and trauma, and longing, and the need to choose life and hope above all else. The world is dark and miserable and frightening, and sometimes bad things are coming, and sometimes there are losses and hardships, but you can always find a thing to be glad for, and a good ending to hope on.

[mythopoeticreality]

For the reader asks: What do you wish more authors in your fandom would write about?, - What reader or write do you think most deserves a high five?, and Tell me a headcanon (and who you wish would write it)?

Ohh! Awesome! Just the questions I wanted to answer too! xD Thank you, you wonderful nonnie for sending me these!^^ I umm…I might get a bit long-winded here so bear with me….>.>

What do you wish more authors in your fandom would write about?

Oh dear…you just gave me free reign here to give you my fannish wish-list anon. Do you realize what you’ve done?!

Okay, no but, these are some of the ideas and characters I’ve most wanted to see more explored for such a long time now, so this might get a bit long as I’ve been thinking about some of these things for so long, so…let’s split this up by fandom:

Silmarillon/Tolkien:

More Tinfang please, definately! Probably my most obscure fav here,but he has so much potential? I mean, he’s this haf-fey pied-piper type figure and I just need like…all of the fic of him outwitting orcs and robin-hooding it up across Beleriand just basically ruining Morgoth’s day in his own small ways xD I love the idea of Tinfang being this folklorish figure amongst the elves, and I’d love to see more of that.

On that note: More Middle Earth Fairy Lore in general. Yeah I know most of this stuff is only half-canonical at best and pretty obscure, coming from the Book of Lost Tales, but still, it’s just fun? Again, I love the idea of elvish folklore, especially pre-Valarin folklore and I’d love to see more of it, and incorporating some of these older Lost Tales era ideas is such a great way to do it? Besides, the addition of fairies answers an age old question in Tolkien Fandom:

“…they were born before the world and are older than its oldest, and are not of it, but laugh at it much, for had they not somewhat to do with its making, so that it is for the most part a play for them…”

TELL ME THAT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE TOM BOMBADIL TO YOU!?! Case closed. Tom Bombadil is a Fairy.

Asside from Tinfang and Fairy lore, however, There are a couple of things I’d love to see more of in this fandom as well.

More Amlach would always be a blessing.I don’t really see why he is so often overlooked as a character either. Here’s this guy, he’s like, ‘Okay, I’m maybe not so cool with these Elves dragging us into this war of theirs that I certainly didn’t  sign on for’  but then Morgoth comes along, and sends one of his servants to impersonate him while he’s away. Amlach finds out is all ‘What?! You stole my face?! Oh it’s personal, now…” and then goes to find Maedhros and becomes one of his vassals to fight against Morgoth. He has to be one of my favorite Men in the Legendarium, and I can’t help but picture his relationship with Maedhros to be just…so full of snark. He’s not awed by these elves after all, he’s just here because Morgoth’s an asshole. Honestly, I can’t help but feel that if Amlach feels like Maedhros is wrong about something he will speak up about it. And..Maedhros actually appreciates that? Amlach’s honesty, I mean, maybe not the snark all the time xD I just want to see more of that relationship, and it’s development, blossoming into some kind of respect and friendship between the two. Basically Amlach is awesome and I want more of him.

Finally, I’d love to see more Eönwë/Mairon stuff? This is my ship! The whole tragic lovers-to-enemies dynamic that they could have going? Those moments where Sauron came begging to Eönwë at the end of the War of Wrath and things almost, almost looked like things could have been reconciled, where everything stood on a knife-blade and a held breath? YES, I am here for that. And yeah, I’m a sucker for redemption fics, so I’m here for AU’s where Sauron actually did turn around and seek the Valar’s forgiveness as well.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell:

*slams fist on table* More JSMN Crossovers! I mean, the King’s Roads literally go everywhere, and I can’t be the only one who sees the potential there! You’ve got all of fiction and reality open to you! For instance: 

Send Childermass off on the King’s Roads exploring Faerie and Looking for a way to read Vinculus, and have him stumble on into the DC Universe to run into John Constantine! They can be Snarky Northern Bastards together and deal with Fairies and Demons and Magic! 

Have John Uskglass wander into Wizarding New York in 1926 and meet Credence Barebone! Can you imagine what that would be like? The Raven King meeting this orphan kid who grew up in pretty much the exact opposite situation to himself, In a world where magic is kept a secret, and who had to spend his life suppressing this magic he had? What would be going through John’s head in that moment? What would be going through Credence’s? Can the Raven King take Credence under his wing, get himself a new apprentice? He should. That would be really cool. 

Oh, or what about Strange and Norrell while they’re trapped in the Pillar of Darkness? Send them to Valinor! Imagine the reactions of the Elves and the Valar at the approach of this huge Tower of Midnight. What New Sorcery of Morgoth’s is this? Is this the arrival of some new evil into their realm, like Ungoliant? Imagine this army of Elven warriors – the very same ones that Durring the War of Wrath fought to take down the source of all evil in Middle Earth – all lining up and preparing for battle…only to discover a pair of fondly squabbling academics

Or you know what? We don’t even need the King’s roads for crossovers! One of the things I’ve been most wanting to see in this fandom is a Sandman/JSMN crossover just…focusing on the relationship between Uskers and Morpheus? Like, I could totally see Oberon’s Favorite Foster Son as having encountered the Lord Shaper over here during his time in Faerie? And just, as a being of Faerie, as a Magician, as a Legend in and of himself, he totally has this connection to Dream? And honestly….why wouldn’t I want to see these two being Melodramatic and Goth and Awesome together? I’d really love to see how they’d interact. (Crossovers involving Daniel would *also* be amazing too of course and I’d really love to see John dealing with the feelings of knowing but not knowing Daniel, of interacting with someone who is at the same time so much older and so much younger than himself. How weird does it have to get to begin to stretch at even the Raven King’s own standards for what is “normal?”) 

Other crossovers I’d like to see: John Segundus and Arthur Weasley hanging out because that would be just…the most adorable thing. And Also Henry Lascelles and Lucius Malfoy, because they just kind of deserve one another really xD

Asside from Crossovers I’d really love to read more things focusing on just the general history and world building in JSMN? I want to see like, the effects of magic on things like the Interregnum and the Restoration! I want to see what sort of History Play Shakespere wrote about John Uskglass and How opening night went! (You Know the Raven King showed up,watching from the shadows. You just know it.) I want to see Isaac Newton as a Magician, dammit! (speaking of that last one I got this lovely fic around Christmas Time about that very thing and I am eternally greatful for it, and y’all should go read it)

And honestly, more fics about the Aurate Magicians and John Uskglass would be amazing? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I want an entire series of novels dedicated to the Aurate era of Magic. I want *all* of the medieval politics and drama. How does John Uskglass interact with say…Emperess Matilda or Henry V? How does magic change things and introduce new issues that have to be delt with? Also…the characters of this time period just *fascinate* me. Yeah, John Uskglass, but also Thomas of Dundale? William of Lanchester? Catherine of Winchester? Donata Torrel and Margaret Ford and their troop of women magicians? Thomas Godbless? Walter De Chepe? Lookit. I just need *all* of the stories about the Aurates.

Oh, and one more thing: No 80′s AU JSMN fandom? I am Dissapoint. I need John Uskglass hanging out in Le Phonographique as is only his natural habitat ;P 

What reader or writer do you think most deserves a high five? 

But there are so many awesome people in both my fandoms? I mean Just going off of the top of my head…

@jordenspuls and @somepallings just seem like all around really cool people and it’s always a delight to see their back-and-forth crossing my dash (even if most of the time I’m too much an awkward nerd to say anything myself) Not only that but they’re also really awesome writers and if you like Johnsquared you should definitely check out both of their work!^^

@ohveda is also super-cool and is also an awesome writer, especially– again – if you like Johnsquared. Also, it always makes me smile when I see a comment on one of my metas, because we’ve always had nice discussion in the past. 

Of course I’ve gotta mention @regshoe here, for loving the Raven King as much I do, for always being an awesome person to talk to and for writing such amazing fic as well as comments in my own stories.

And on that same note, theseatheseatheopensea is another amazing writer in JSMN fandom (seriously, the writing is just georgous. Go read that Isaac Newton story.) and always leaves such lovely comments in my fic as well!^^

Finally, @thearrogantemu and @prackspoor have both written some of my favorite Silm fics.

Tell me a headcanon (and who you wish would write it)? 

Okay, so for most of my headcanons and ideas I don’t actually have an ideal writer in mind for any of them. I’d just really love to see what would happen if anyone took them up and ran with them.

That said, because I cannot provide any actual writers for these headcanons, I will give three each from each fandom to make up for it 8D

The Silmarillion/Tolkien:

  More Fairy Lore from Arda: Before encountering the Valar the elves would often leave out small offerings to appease the fairies and spirits of Middle-Earth. A few berries, a piece of meat from a good hunt, a dish of milk left out on the doorstep. After meeting Oromë and going to Valinor, the offerings became more craft-oriented and were said to be for the Valar, rather than the Fairies. Many – especially amongst the Vanyar – stopped leaving out offerings all together, seeing them as relics of the misunderstandings of the past, too pagan a tradition to continue with. MírielÞerindë, however did continue to leave out small scraps of brightly embroidered fabric as a tribute to Vairë whenever she began a new project. Fëanor continues on in this tradition, leaving a small wire spiral out on his workbench whenever he starts something new – not for the Valar or to keep the Fairies from interfering – but as a tribute to his mother.

Curufin is actually the best rider and horsemen amongst his brothers and taught Celebrimbor to ride 

Arien and Sauron were actually really close before Sauron’s eventual betrayal. Being some of the few Fire-spirits who remained on the side of the valar gave them a particular bond, and  Mairon was someone for Arien to turn to when the feelings of grief and betrayal that her brothers – The Balrogs – left her with grew to heavy. Well that was untill…

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell:

Catherine of Winchester actually didn’t start out as a particularly impressive Magician. Actually, if anything, magic was fairly difficult for her at first. Where she was impressive was in her dedication to her craft, and her shear stubbornness in it’s pursuit was what actually impressed the Raven King enough to take her on as a student (this one is actually a fairly new headcanon for me, but there is something about the idea that I find so appealing…)

Thomas of Dundale is actually a huge nerd when it comes to Arthuriana and tales of Chivalry. He was actually kind of having a bit of a fanboy freakout when he first learned Chrétien de Troyes wrote a song about him. xD More seriously though, tales of Knights and Brave Deeds were what he grew up on before being stolen away to Faerie, and during late nights in the Brugh, when neither of them could sleep, Thomas would keep both himself and John entertained with the old stories his nurse used to tell him. Sometimes he even thinks of himself and John as a kind of reversed Arthur and Merlin. 

William of Lanchester was actually one of the Raven King’s apprentices in his youth. That first week within John Uskglass’s company was one of the most frustrating experiences in William’s life, and by the end of it he well and truely hated John Uskglass and his particular manner of doing things. It was just so much the opposite to William’s own approach? He swallowed it down and pushed on anyway, because he did want to learn, but he ranted to Thomas (who he got on with brilliantly from the start) a lot about John during those early years of their relationship. Thomas helped him stick it out, Thomas gave him space to vent and honestly? Thomas helped smooth things over between William and John when they clashed the most. “He takes growing used to. But he’ll grow on you, if given a chance.” Thomas would say to him. William would just scoff. “Yes. Like a fungus.” Yet by the end of his apprenticeship, William found himself as one of the Raven King’s most trusted advisers and closest friends – and the thing that surprised William the most? When he realized it, he wasn’t surprised at all.

[asgardian--angels]

Calling All LOTR fans! Why aren’t you on LOTRO yet??

Hey everyone! It’s Molly here - aka, Sauron’s #1 fan lmao. 

Now, we’re a big fandom, between LOTR and the Hobbit and the Silm, there’s millions of us out there, and thousands on Tumblr! And we’re always looking for new ways to experience and interact with Tolkien’s legendarium. Plus, many of us have an overlapping interest in gaming, of any sort. But even if you don’t - read on, I implore you! 

There’s an incredibly awesome free MMORPG out there, one that I’ve been playing for years. It’s called LOTRO - Lord of the Rings Online - and it’s gotta be my absolute favorite interpretation of Middle-Earth ever. 

For those not aware, an MMORPG is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, basically an open world PC game that has thousands of other users you can interact with within the confines of the game’s universe. And in this case, that’s Middle-Earth! 

Everything you know and love about Tolkien’s world is brought to life in stunning thoughtful detail, from the rolling hills of the Shire to the eaves of Fangorn and beyond. You become an integral part of the story of Middle-Earth, assisting the Fellowship both directly and in the littler ways that count most of all - staving off the forces of darkness by doing good deeds and helping the folk of Eriador, Rhovanion, and Gondor. Everything you do ripples outwards to influence the fate of Arda itself! Without you, there would be no hope for the Fellowship to succeed in its dire quest. Traveling from land to land, you become beloved and treasured as a hero by all the free peoples of Middle-Earth, royal and common folk alike. While you may start out small, soon your path will bring you to the feet of great lords and kings, and onto the very doorstep of Mordor itself, where the Dark Lord awaits. Fight the fell beasts of Sauron, skip through the Old Forest with Tom Bombadil, and ride your warsteed across the vast open plains of Rohan - the world is yours to explore, and to save, if you can. Middle-Earth depends on you.

I truly can’t overstate how much I love LOTRO. I’ve been playing for five years now and I am just as much in love with it as the day I first started. It’s always a little dicey, as a Tolkien fan, especially if you’re a highly devoted one, trying to judge and decide if an interpretation of his work will enhance your experience or ruin it - you just want to see justice done by him and everything he stood for. Trust me, I’m like that too (there’s no need to talk about a certain upcoming Amazon series...). So believe me when I tell you that the spirit of Tolkien comes alive in this game. The creators, writers, and designers of LOTRO have put so much thought and care, and heart, into staying true to Tolkien’s vision and messages. Great attention and care is paid with respect to accuracy to the lore and languages Tolkien created as well, something that cements the authenticity of LOTRO for diehard fans. You just feel good playing it (and honestly, I feel like it’s helped my self-esteem?? Those little virtual hobbits are so grateful for everything you do). Warm fuzzies all around. With a fair helping of angst, can’t forget that. Not all stories can have happy endings, but with your help, a whole lot of them can. 

So... maybe you’ve read this far, and are a teensy bit interested? Or at least intrigued. This is a chance to expand the world of Tolkien to something you can actually immerse yourself in, be a part of, explore like never before! Wander the cobblestone streets of Bree, smell the pipe-smoke in the Prancing Pony, feel the chill winds of the icy wastes of Forochel upon your face. Do you have the guts to face the Witch-King himself? 

LOTRO has so much to offer! Whether you are interested from a gaming perspective, or a story perspective, it’s endless fun. Before LOTRO I’d never played an MMO, and I certainly would not consider myself a gamer. I came from a love of Middle-Earth, and came for a chance to see that story brought to life. So don’t count it out if you think you’re not up for some hardcore gaming lifestyle - this game has the pace that you set for it. Whether you join a social kinship and roleplay, a raid group to do skirmishes, or go it alone and fish the day away, the possibilities are endless. 

Plus, I feel like it’s worth stating that the scenery in LOTRO is astoundingly beautiful. It’s not uncommon for my friends and I to ride around just for the view. And you know what else? The music, guys. Just, the music. LOTRO has been blessed these many years with composer Chance Thomas, who has crafted some of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard - comparable to those of the Lord of the Rings films themselves. He truly encapsulates the emotions, the grandeur, the coziness, the uneasiness, the dread and the joy, of every corner of Middle-Earth. (It’s so well-loved by players that TWO official soundtracks were even put out, and I play them in my car all the time, ngl. Check out one of the Rohan tracks here!)

So, for the nitty gritty that you may be wondering about! This is a great time to join LOTRO. Over the years, the game has grown tremendously, adding more regions of Middle-Earth to quest in, building more storylines, and expanding the characters you can have, the clothes you can wear, and the activities you can do! Currently, you can play several races - Man, Dwarf, Elf, High Elf, Hobbit, and Beorning - as well as a wide variety of classes - hunter, lore-master, rune-keeper, burglar, champion, minstrel, captain, guardian, and warden- each with their own unique stories and abilities. Multiple characters can be created for free on one account. There’s a wide customization capability for characters and cosmetic items, for housing, steeds, emotes, pets, and more. That’s part of what makes LOTRO so fun! Most expansions can be purchased in-game using points earned by completing deeds, making LOTRO affordable and FTP (free to play) for a large proportion of its content. Additionally, we have an incredibly thorough and comprehensive Wiki-style website for all LOTRO-related information. This is an incredibly knowledgeable and welcoming community.

...Did I add that there’s maiar in the game too? If you have a keen eye you’ll spot them.

Molly why are really you making this post?

Now, earlier I mentioned kinships. Traveling Middle-Earth can often be more fun with others, and having friends can help you learn the game and offer advice and insight. They can be roleplay partners, band members (yes, you can play instruments in the game!), or just buddies to talk to. Many LOTRO players are in kinships, and each is different, depending on what you want to get out of the experience. You can find a kinship within the game, or on social media - in fact, I found my kinship, the one I’ve been in all these years, right here on Tumblr! I want to extend that hand in friendship to potential new players that are in the position I was all those years ago. 

Our humble kinship is called Dwarrowdam. You may recall this is the name for a lady-dwarf! While many of our members are dwarrowdams, that is by no means a prerequisite. We welcome players of all races and classes. Dwarrowdam is a casual social kinship, where we enjoy helping others out, from learning the ropes to festival activities, deeding, raids, concerts, and much more. We host weekly kin nights, where we get together and have fun for a couple of hours. This kinship has been going almost since the start of LOTRO itself, and we are eager to meet new people! A few of our higher-ranking members have had to depart after many years, due to real life commitments, and we hope to build our ranks again. We all thoroughly enjoy mentoring new players, myself included. Dwarrowdam would be a great choice for kinship for any player just starting out, or a continuing player looking for a relaxed social atmosphere as part of their gameplay experience! We are located on the Landroval server, which itself is known for its friendliness and its roleplay opportunities. It is our hope that gaining a solid handful of new, active members will allow our kinship to return to its former glory. Kinships can fizzle out and dissolve if too many players leave, and that is the last thing we want to happen to Dwarrowdam. It’s been like a home for me and many others, and I believe we can restore it.

I am an officer in the Dwarrowdam kinship, along with Badari and Daerhovan. We strongly encourage you to contact us with any questions you might have, about the kinship or LOTRO itself, or if you would like to join Dwarrowdam. 

Anyone who loves Tolkien and Middle-Earth should give LOTRO a try. For me, finding it was like filling a hole in my life I never knew existed. It’s thrilling, peaceful, emotional, hopeful, all in one - basically, everything that the stories we know and love already are, but brought to life in front of us. I’d like to think that if you tried it, you’d love it as much as I do. And if you’re in need of a kinship, please consider Dwarrowdam. 

And besides, look at Gandalf and his bushy eyebrows. You can’t say no to that.

[gaolcrowofmandos]

Eleven Questions

Tagged by @straightouttahimring -- thanks so much! <3

1) Favorite race of beings in Ea?

Geez, I'm boring... Gotta say the Eldar!

2) What do you think happens after the conclusion of The Return of the King?

Aside from all the little slivers of canon we have? I think the lingering Sindar and silvan elves fade slowly, though pretty big schisms arise in Lorien and Eryn Lasgalen regarding whether or not to sail, since the Havens stay functional at least until Sam sails.

3) Why do you think Gimli alone of the dwarves was allowed into Valinor?

No other Dwarves had really tried, so first-come/first-serve? ;) Seriously, though: I think his learned respect for the Elves and the broader perspective to which the events of LotR expose him develops his character in such a way that Galadriel could pull some strings. Alternately, Legolas smuggles him and Aule doesn't let the other Valar kick him out.

4) Which character from The Silmarillion do you find to be the most morally “good?”

Hmmmmmm... this may be the gateway to discourse, but Beren?

5) Which Tolkien character needs more appreciation?

Turgon! I say it all the time, but seriously. His arc/fall is delicious material. *reminds self to actually write about him sometime*

6) Where in Arda would you want to live?

Rivendell! Relative safety, lots of libraries, and enough travelers, news and General Hubbub that it doesn't get too stagnant

7) Was Melkor created evil, or did he become evil? If the latter, then how?

I'd say he became evil by pridefully putting his own perceived right to freedom over that of, well, the rest of Creation.

8) If you were a Maia, which Vala would you align yourself with?

Namo, hands down. No other way I could safely meet all my terrible faves.

9) Mirkwood or Rivendell?

Mirkwood has a sort of wild appeal, don't get me wrong, but I'll go with Rivendell since there are more books, and also Noldor :)

10) Out of all the heroes of the first age, why did the Valar choose to send Glorfindel back to Middle Earth?

I like to think he had a sort of go-getter attitude, and who knows, vanquishing a creature like a Balrog may have conferred him some extra power. He also isn't a highly political figure (like any of the Finwions would be), so he could operate without offsetting the power balance in M-e.

11) Favorite scene or story in Tolkien’s world?

Just one? I've gotta go with Sam and Frodo's conversation in 'The Stairs of Cirith Ungol' -- all the Silm references, talk of the Bigger Story, defining heroes and villains... Tolkien's dead-up meta'ing himself in canon, and it's crazy powerful.

Not sure who's been tagged in this one lately, but if anyone wants to answer these awesome questions, tag me!

[arofili]

@cirth-ithil-archive​ asked: melkor and beleg, if you want

MELKOR

1-3 things I enjoy about them 1. Evil 2. He is so weirdly possessive and self-hating but simultaneously extremely vain?? 3. gotta say he both gives and receives the WEIRDEST most HARDCORE punishments

Something interesting about them based on tenuous circumstantial evidence just the whole Angbang thing. I enjoy that ship but I think it’s so funny how the fandom has latched onto the little we know about them and just blown it up!

A question I have about them when was the moment he decided to do his own thing? what was the moment he realized he had a different vision from Melkor?

A random relevant line I like “Thou jail-crow of Mandos!” I know that’s Feanor’s line, but I just find it so funny. what a BURN on the lord of evil

My preferred version, if there is more than one version of their story (or part of their story) i’m really only familiar with the silm version, but i love the fanon take on him too :o

Favorite relationship(s) him and Sauron!

How would they react to Tom Bombadil he would honestly be terrified of tom bombadil because tom would just not give a shit about him. like he’d be like ready to blast tom off the planet and tom would just be so chill and not even care

Optional: Something about them that I think people forget i mean. no matter the cutesy fanart he is truly evil. like he does evil things out of pure malice, there’s no explanation or glorification that can excuse that. he is pure evil.

BELEG

1-3 things I enjoy about them 1. he’s like Legolas But Cooler And Earlier 2. him and turin......................killl mee i love them 3. HIS DEATH IS NOT ENJOYABLE BUT I LITERALLY CANNOT GET OVER HOW POETIC AND GUTWRENCHING IT IS

Something interesting about them based on tenuous circumstantial evidence i think i saw a headcanon somewhere that he was friends with luthien? or something? im not sure honestly i dont see a lot of beleg stuff which is a SHAME because he’s GREAT

A question I have about them @TOLKIEN WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE

A random relevant line I like “And he looked with liking upon Túrin, for he had the beauty of his mother and the eyes of his father, and he was sturdy and strong.” beleg..................that’s gay..................

My preferred version, if there is more than one version of their story (or part of their story) again, really only familiar with the silm so that, but i’d love to read the children of hurin and find out more !

Favorite relationship(s) him and turin of course. goddamn ive seen some really tragic fanart of them and also some really happy fanart that is tragic based on what happens to him......

How would they react to Tom Bombadil i think he’d be pretty unnerved at first but would grow to appreciate him as “that weird guy who is more chill than anyone”

Optional: Something about them that I think people forget that he exists......why dont i think about beleg more.....

ask me about a tolkien character!

[animecrazy13ify]

Tagged by @cataclysmofstars Thank you!

01. se//ga or nin//tendo? Uh, I’m gonna say neither....

02. do you like cold weather? Yeeeeees. Summer can go die, it gets so hot here.

03. if your hair is long enough, would you wear it in pigtails? Nah. Not my style. I mean, usually I can’t be bothered taming this mess into a pony tail, let alone something marginally more complicated.

04. would you rather wear a cocktail dress or a suit or a combination of both? I gotta say suit. I’m scared of the uncontrollable chaos of skirts. However, if it’s hot I’d wear a dress.

05. if you could get implants to enhance your abilities (hence becoming a cyborg), would you? Can’t say I’ve given it any thought...

06. what are your favourite things about yourself? I like my writing skills and my ability to de-intensify situations.

07. combat boots worn for fashion, yay or nay? I like them!

08. do you paint your nails? Basically never.

09. do you like your handwriting? Yes!

10. would you rather explore space or the bottom of the ocean? Seriously neither. 

11. would you date your fave fictional character? Noooooooo.

My questions for you guys:

01. Do you wear makeup? No.

02. Top three favorite authors? David Mitchell, Lynn Flewelling and Laini Taylor. 

03. Three random facts about yourself?

1. I love studying the ancient world.

2. I have filled up 3 sketchbooks with drawings of my OCs.

3. I’m allergic to peanuts.

04. What hairstyle do you prefer to wear? Down.

05. If you could live anywhere, where would you pick? I quite like the land of Aus, though I’m probably going to exchange in Japan in 2019 so we’ll see if my tune changes.

06. Are you a good cook? Yep, especially desserts!

07. Who is your favourite fictional character, and why? Mairon from the Silm. I love me a good hero, but I always find villains the most intriguing characters, mainly because I find I can get bored with a lot of heroes. I also think that Mairon is the most complex character I’ve come across. He had an incredibly interesting character arc and I think his origins are (weirdly) some of the most relatable. I still find it admirable (heh) how Tolkien was able to insinuate the complexity and depth of this character through a very specific, biblical writing style. 

08. Do you have any pets? I have an insane cat.

09. Your favourite so-bad-it’s-good TV show or movie? I’m blanking, but there’s one, I know it.

10. What’s the best location for a date? What is this ‘date’ you speak of?

11. Do you make new year’s resolutions or not? If so, what will they be for 2018? Set up a new phone.

I tag anyone who wants to do this!

[vardasvapors]

the brothers karamazov thoughts

So I read The Brothers Karamazov which I finished yesterday, I asdfhjkl’d about it a bit with @crocordile last night and then some more over ice cream with a couple friends tonight, I had previously attempted to read it on at least two separate occasions when I was 15 and 19 and got about halfway through both times, but this time I finished. I mentioned a couple months ago in some meme that I had the impression this would be one of my favorite books if I actually finished it and I was correct. A favorite for sure.

Rundown covering a vague collection of bases:

Vague Takeaways: I really love Dostoeyvsky for a number of reasons, but one of my absolute favorite things about him is his compassion (which doesn’t always include sympathy) for his characters. One of my most hated things about modern lit fic (which I don’t read much of precisely because of this) and fanfic (which I do read a good bit of generally but honestly have been reading very little of lately because a lot of Silm fanfic is insufferable) is this absolutely knee-jerk dogma for writers to saturate with ‘self-congratulatory detachment’ and smug, icy, poor-faith, untouchable disdain for one’s own characters and their thoughts and emotions. Dostoeyvsky does none of that even when he is pretty merciless about roasting his characters’ with their foibles or even humiliating them in agonizing ways, there’s always still a sense of, hey, you have the right to exist in this story while feeling and thinking these things as a whole person even if it’s a really shitty thing to be and will land you in xyz types of hot water, marginalizing and silencing characters or concealing and dismissing the rounded aspects of them for failing to perform decently in another aspect isn’t really on the menu.

Complaints: croc informed me that this was planned to have a sequel(s) but Dosto died before he could do it and SUDDENLY THE WORLD MAKES SENSE AGAIN. I was super underwhelmed by the ending/most of the trial scene and totally befuddled at the number of loose ends left hanging and character development abruptly cut off for that fucking....defense/prosecution speech pair. Like.....hey....fuckboy....shut up....what happened to Ivan.....also I complained that I didn’t totally trust my translation, by Constance Garnett, but alas I was too lazy to pick out another one given how contradictory all the recommendations I could get were.

Narrative Kinks fulfilled: I have a big thing for flagrantly smashing that ‘show don’t tell’ rule, check, thanks Ivan. I have a bizarrely specific but extremely strong obsession with scenes where a character Runs Around in a Panic Looking For Something/Trying To Accomplish An Errand In A Close-Up Blow-by-Blow Sequence That is a Long Expansion Pack of a Short Time Frame, check. I love well-written sincerely devout characters, check, and well-written bruh-you-really-went-there characters, check. I love intense long back-and-forth conversations, check. I love unbearable up-ratcheting of tension and drama in a play-like contained scene until one feels, like the characters, that they are about to lose their mind, check. I love empathetic depictions of hate-filled miserable characters with cruel and ugly thoughts, check. I love scenes where the piercing emotional effect rests on weird semi-free-association dialogue and action rather than clear and relevant argument, check. I love terrible dysfunctional families of course, check.

Favorite Scenes: blah blah Rebellion/Grand Inquisitor of course, every time Alyosha casts Banish Cynicism and rudely screws whoever he’s talking to out of their posturing, Ivan dancing having a pillow fight on the couch with the devil in the pale moonlight, Dmitri’s entire FailQuest(TM), both Episode IV: Ocean’s Three Thousand Roubles and Episode V: Lol I Sure Hope Nothing Happens To Make Me Reconsider Suicide Now Because That Would Be Really Awkward, Ivan & Alyosha under the streetlamp, Ivan’s Last Interview with Smerdyakov, Alyosha and Illusha’s dad, Dmitri waylaying Alyosha and unloading 539 bad ideas Part One and Part Two, every Second-Hand-Embarrassment.gif scene starting with Muisov having an aneurysm at Papa K in front of Zossima and nosediving from there, Holakhlov trying to railroad Dmitri into her Gold Mines scheme, Alyosha rolls a 1 at Sinning, Lise’s last depression rant where she smashes her finger which I can’t make funny :\

Favorite character: SUPER predictable...I love a very large proportion of the characters, the brothers are my top favorites, Ivan #1.

Favorite relationship: Ivan & Alyosha, by a mile

OTP: Ivan/The Devil.....sorry this sounds like a blow-off, I actually do really like Ivan/Katya and Mitya/Gru but uhhhhhhhhh i want A Whole Book of ivan and the devil’s shenanigans

Problematic Fave: IS THIS NOT A BOOK OF PROBLEMATIC FAVES......Smerdyakov, very surprising because animal cruelty is usually my most iron-clad of do not pass go do not collect $200 nope buttons, but....

Problematic Ship: Rakitin/Alyosha but only for the one AU scenario where Rakitin cottons on early on that Alyosha is just going to enable Gru’s kink for emotional sincerity and vice versa, and hauls Alyosha off before he realizes he doesn’t know how to sin in order to defile him himself. ‘if you want something done right you gotta do it yourself’ -Rakitin, but only about petty spiteful bullshit.

Unpopular Opinion: no idea, can I make a guess that people probably don’t like Kolya? I love Kolya.

Fic needs: the sequel where Ivan and Alyosha jailbreak Dmitri and they all go on the lam but Ivan is still hatesexing the Devil and Dmitri continues to suck at possessing a brain. At some point Alyosha yells at them for a block of dialogue that is a page long or more but this leads to more Second-Hand-Embarrassment-gif.

Random note: why does “The Brothers Karamazov” sound so infinitely better than “The Karamazov Brothers”?

[gaolcrowofmandos]

Eleven Questions

Tagged by @cerulean-shark – thanks so much! <33

I love your questions *resists urge to make a separate post for each one*

1. Who are your favorite members of the House of Finwe, and why?

Gah I love them all, but at present I’ve gotta say Turgon, Curufin, and Celebrimbor. They all have such distinct but fascinating tragedies and a ridiculous amount of pride. Plus geniuses in their respective fields :)

2. Favorite weird bit of Tolkien lore?

I always love the canon story of Azog’s death in LotR Appendix A… The whole decapitation/shoving the money bag in his mouth thing is both weird and hella hardcore.

3. Favorite ship?

Just one??? Guess it’ll have to be Curufin/Finrod.

4. How do you feel about Melian and Thingol?

To avoid the Dazed In The Woods Discourse, I’ll say my piece about Thingol’s death and Melian leaving Doriath defenseless. Ethically, big No. She completely abandons her people and realm, allowing the Second Kinslaying.

Narratively, however, I love it–Melian’s just about one of the toughest characters in the whole Silm–we see next to no objective ‘mistakes’ on her end–but then she just reaches her breaking point after losing Thingol, and knowing it’s imminent she’ll lose Luthien, too.

5. Opinions on Maeglin?

Like his mother, his biggest issue is freedom. He spends his life going from cage to cage, from Nan Elmoth with Eol’s abuse to Gondolin (trapped in the shadow of his parents’ deaths, chained to his love for Idril but unable to act on it) to Angband (where he’s offered the supposed chance at real freedom and takes it), then back to Gondolin, to find he’s still in mental bondage to Morgoth. Damn tragic.

6. Opinions on Manwe?

SO well-intentioned. Like, more well-intentioned than you would believe. However, not the best when it comes to empathy. At least Thorondor makes up for a little of that

7. Least favorite Feanorian?

Least favorite? Hmm. I guess it would have to be (in the twin-lost-at-Losgar version) whichever twin is Umbarto (in your chosen version of that version), just for deficit of characterization to make a call on how much I like him.

8. Crossover you’d like to see?

This is terrible, but like… random classic lit stuff? Like, take the premise of The Brothers Karamazov or The Count of Monte Cristo or The Picture of Dorian Gray and insert Silm characters/plot elements and see what happens.

9. Favorite Ainu?

This is unoriginal, but: Mairon is objectively the best. just sayin’

10. Random headcanon about Feanor, Fingolfin, or Finarfin?

Fingolfin’s challenge to Morgoth isn’t a symbolic or courageous or even tragically desperate act; it’s a 100% break with reality, mentally snapping.

11. Opinions on Celebrimbor?

Two big ones which are more like headcanons:

(1) The Rings were his idea. Yes, Annatar is 100% there to trip him up, corrupt him, and tear him down–and ultimately he takes the bigger role in the Rings project, of course–but the idea reeks too much of Fëanor for it to be all him.

(2) He’s a smart guy. He knew who Annatar was (or at least had a solid guess) pretty early on, but kept his secret because his Daddy/Uncle Issues make him a bit of a sucker for redemption arcs. Annatar’s 'big reveal’ isn’t his identity, but his ill intentions.

My Questions:

1) Favorite Third Age ship?

2) *opens trench coat to reveal bags of crack* Take your pick: Gorlim/Celebrimbor, Manwë/Fëanor, Melkor/Ungoliant

3) What’s the first thing (image, scene, quote, aesthetic, anything) you associate with Maedhros?

4) Do you like the 'Hobbit’ films?

5) Why/why not?

6) Which of the three C’s (Celegorm, Caranthir, Curufin) do you think has the saddest story? (yes, i’m aware they’re all terrible ;P)

7) Was the Prophecy of the North/Doom of the Noldor fair?

8) Name one song that makes you think of The Silmarillion (any character, any scene, whatever :).

9) Favorite Dwarf? (First, Second, or Third Age)

10) To what extent was Túrin responsible for his actions?

11) Most recent Tolkien book read?

I tag: @ten-summoners-fails, @fernstrike, @mythopoeticreality, @feanope , @cycas, @raisingcain-onceagain, @straightouttahimring, @filmamir, @alia-andreth, @prackspoor, and @cataclysmofstars , if y'all would like, plus anyone else who’d like to answer!