#War of the Last Alliance

[maaruin]

Okay, I made a very interesting discovery today. Or rather, I remembered something I had read many years ago, but didn’t understand the implications back then.

In the last tale of the Silmarillion, called Of The Rings of Power and the Third Age, there is a sentence about the War of the Last Alliance:

All living things were divided in that day, and some of every kind, even of beasts and birds, were found in either host, save the Elves only. They alone were undivided and followed Gil-galad.

All living things except Elves. This means there were Orcs fighting for the good side!

[thranduilofsmirkwood]

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[chromapipeweed]

Day 1: Elves

Not sure if Oropher actually became part of the marshes or not (I need to reread everything this year) but it was a really fun idea to draw.

@secondageweek

[raointean]

Rings of Power Celebration - Week 4

I know this PROBABLY isn't what you meant with the "Music" prompt, but I had the thought of Elrond writing "Diggy Diggy Hole" and couldn't not write it

Elrond hummed to himself as he stoked the fire. He and Durin were on their way back to Khazad-Dûm to present King Gil-Galad’s proposal to King Durin III, but unfortunately, it was slow going. In addition to Durin's incredibly short legs, the weather had turned against them, which now necessitated them hiding out in a cave until the storm passed.

"What’s that you're humming?" Durin pulled him out of his thoughts.

What had he been humming? He tried to catch the last few notes before they left his mind, and-Oh no!

"It- it's nothing. Just a little ditty I made up. A bit of silliness, " Elrond tried to brush it off, flushing furiously.

Durin took his pipe out of his mouth, eyebrows raised; his interest officially piqued. "Really? You know, I may be no musical expert, but that tune sounded distinctly dwarvish. I'm curious, and anyway, we could use a bit of levity in the midst of all of this 'doom and gloom and end-of-elven-life-as-we-know-it' business. Sing it for me."

Elrond balked. "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly." He really didn't want to lose his friendship with Durin so soon after they had mended it. And he certainly didn't want to lose it over a song! "It wasn't meant for any ears but my own and... it could, perhaps, be a little offensive."

Durin laughed heartily and took a long drag from his pipe. "The best songs always are! Let's hear it."

Elrond sighed, knowing that Durin could, and would, out-stubborn him on any day of the week. "Very well. But let it never be said that I did not warn you."

Durin simply raised an unimpressed eyebrow and waited for Elrond to begin. He did.

"Brothers of the mine, rejoice!

Swing, swing, swing with me

Raise your pick and raise your voice!

Sing, sing, sing with me

Down and down into the deep

Who knows what we'll find beneath?

Diamonds, rubies, gold, and more

Hidden in the mountain store"

The song went on like that for several verses, and by the end of it, Durin was laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face. In fact, he was laughing so hard that it took him several moments to collect himself enough to speak.

"That was amazing, Elrond. Massive generalization of our culture and absolutely hilarious!"

Strangely enough, there was no sarcasm in Durin's voice; he genuinely seemed to mean it. Elrond rolled his eyes fondly. "You would find that funny."

Silence fell for a few minutes before a new topic arose and Elrond put memories of the song behind them. The topic was laid to rest and he found it unlikely that it would come up again.

----------------------------------------------

"As I have already said, your majesty, the dwarves will come. Despite the reticence of the rest of their kind, Khazad-Dûm has pledged an army and I have the utmost faith in King Durin's word." The war was taking a toll on all of them, bringing out the worst in people, and Elrond was frustrated to find King Gil-Galad’s tendency towards mistrust brought front and center.

Gil-Galad sighed. His armor was scuffed and coated with ash from their last battle, the meagar torchlight inside the conference tent reflecting dimly off of it, and he looked as if he carried the entire world on his shoulders. The pressure of leading all of the free peoples of Middle Earth had finally caught up to him, it seemed. "I do not doubt your faith in your friend, Elrond. I only doubt their commitment to help us. Things have been tense between Lindon and Khazad-Dûm ever since... Eregion, as you well know. They may have pulled out of the Alliance."

That was ridiculous, Elrond thought. Durin would never go back on a pledge such as this, regardless of the setbacks. Unfortunately, he had no proof with which to refute his king. Dwarves were known to occasionally flip allegiances at the last moment, and Durin was late.

As he stewed in silence, trying to find another argument in favor of the dwarves, they heard a sound from outside the tent. It was the echo of tramping feet and- was that singing?

Elrond and Gil-Galad shared a silent glance before leaving the tent to investigate. Out in the open, the noise was much clearer, clear enough that Elrond could make out individual words, and he realized with dawning horror and near-delirious mirth that he knew them by heart.

"Born underground, grown inside a rocky womb

The earth is our cradle; the mountain shall become our tomb

Face us on the battlefield; you will meet your doom

We do not fear what lies beneath

We can never dig too deep

I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole

Diggy diggy hole, diggy diggy hole!"

At that very moment, a banner peaked up over the hilltop, quickly followed by a horde of distant, black dots.

"What is that?" Gil-Galad wondered aloud.

The blue banner waved in the wind, seven Fëanorian stars, a hammer and an anvil, and an iron crown upon it. "The army of Khazad-Dûm," Elrond breathed.

Durin had made good on his promise. What was more, he seemed to have taught a new marching song to his men.

@the-southlands

[mag-lore]

There are parallels between the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and the War of the Last Alliance that I can’t stop thinking about.  

The Nirnaeth had The Union of Maedhros, an alliance of elves, men, and dwarves; the same races that were allied in the Last Alliance. Some of the men fighting during the Nirnaeth were the Unfaithful Easterlings, while the Faithful Númenóreans were present during the Last Alliance. Both had elves charging before they were given the command from the king (Gwindor and Oropher). Both battles were a last ditch effort to overthrow the Dark Lord, who had specific gripes with specific leaders on the other side (we don’t seem to talk about the price Morgoth put on Fingon’s head enough). Both had a massive loss of lives, resulting in permanent landforms because of all the bodies (Hill of Tears and the Dead Marshes). And both resulted in the fiery death of the High King of the Noldor, at the hand of the greatest foe on the battlefield (Fingon, bound and hewn by Gothmog, and Gil-galad burned by Sauron’s hand). 

But they won the War of the Last Alliance. They lost so so much, but they won. Yes, Sauron rises to power again, but they establish a peace that lasts a long while. Sauron’s influence and forces are driven from all lands, and it stays like that for a long time. Whereas the Nirnaeth Arnoediad was such a crushing defeat, obviously. So many people were lost, for nothing. Morgoth controlled almost all of Beleriand after the Nirnaeth. The remaining free people were scattered, broken and hopeless. 

I mean, just think, Fingon and Maedhros tried so desperately to create an alliance of all the free peoples in Beleriand to defeat the Dark Lord, and they failed miserably. But their sons/descendants (Gil-galad, Elrond, Elendil) tried to do the exact same thing and they were victorious. They won. They were able to do what their fathers were unable to do thousands of years later.  

[eglerieth]

Been thinking about Elrond and Halbarad, and the role of herald.

In the waning of the Second Age, Elrond had the honor of being herald and banner-bearer to Gil-Galad, last of the Noldorin kings. He bore the flag of the elves in the Battle of the Last Alliance. Afterward, he went on to become one of the greats, a lord of elves (and men) and forge deep connections between peoples.

In the waning of the Third Age, Halbarad had the honor of being herald and banner-bearer to Aragorn Ellessar, first king of the Men of the West in a thousand years. He bore the flag of Gondor and Arnor in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. He died there, and his king went on to forge a new age for Mankind, dominant in a world inherited from Elvenkind. I think this truly shows the differing roles of elves and men, especially at that point in time. The elf lives as a wise, renowned, lord of a waning household rich with history, and the man dies for the cause of a new, prosperous age ruled by those that survive him. Elrond leaves Middle Earth at last shortly after, leaving it in the hands of a descendant of his brother- the two lines of the choices of the peredhil fulfilled at last, through heralds.

[the-dreaming-plastic-dinosaur]

But long ago, he passed away...

As you surely guessed, a classic. Gil-galad's last battle, against a certain fire maia.

[elerondo]

When Gil-galad fell in the War of the Last Alliance, it was there and then that Elrond became the Lord of Eriador. He was, in all essence, the last of his line. The High King was no more, his backup was no more. There was no one else in all of Arda who would look out for him, because none of them would ever cherish him enough, and he tires of letting anyone else know him so truly and so much.

He did not mourn Gil-galad for a long time. He could not. Elendil was gone, and Isildur was deemed unfit in his eyes. Elrond had to settle the hosts in Gondor, give instructions to the healers, refute petitions of him taking the throne, convene with Durin’s Folk, send his kin home to Rivendell, coordinate with Mithlond to send more of his kin off to the West. Only then did he finally settle down and marvel at how much he did all by himself for he could not believe it. Things were surreal. There were tears, yes, but there was no wailing. His grief was logical and systematic. He thought and acted like a King in suffering times, the last line of defense who couldn’t and shouldn’t be affected by emotions in order to facilitate a smooth post-war process.

And that marked his last duty to Ereinion Gil-galad. From there on out, Elrond no longer wanted to do things because it was his duty, or because it was what Gil-galad decreed, or what Gil-galad would have wanted. Elrond was no longer a second choice. He was the only choice now, and there was no one to make proud, only himself.

So Elrond slowed down his pace. He focused on building Imladris part by part, cottages here, towers there, and minimised the clutter of the arenas and barracks, but catering to the different mix of culture was ever on the forefront of his mind. Thus, Imladris was an ordered, artistic, non symmetrical state. He sat with the people, being quiet and a listener, because it comforted him to be near another and feel their life about them, after having lost so much. He was no longer the warrior, the Prince, the Herald. He was the comely Lord who laughed with his people and ate with them, sang with them and serenaded their children, and was present all the time to respond to their requests. He began to make and give gifts again, falling into the old familiar ways of the forge. He also delegated his military power, but the fire in his bones ever made him responsive to the call to arms.

One would be right to say that he became full grown into the child who was at Sirion, with all the prowess of the Noldor tucked behind a smile.

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"...AND BY SLOW ARTS OF CRUELTY WERE CORRUPTED AND ENSLAVED; AND THUS DID MELKOR BREED THE HIDEOUS RACE OF THE ORCS..."

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on the many different types of orcs and orc makeup effects by Weta Workshop, all orc makeup iterations featured here can be found in Peter Jackson's first installment of the "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, "The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001). New Line Cinema.

"But of those unhappy ones who were ensnared by Melkor little is known of a certainty... Yet this is held true by the wise of Eressëa, that all those of the Quendi who came into the hands of Melkor, ere Utumno was broken, were put there in prison, and by slow arts of cruelty were corrupted and enslaved; and thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orcs in eny and mockery of the Elves, of whom they were afterwards the bitterest foes. For the Orcs had life and multiplied after the manner of the Children of Ilúvatar... And deep in their dark hearts the Orcs loathed the Master whom they served in fear, the maker only of their misery..."

-- "The Silmarillion," "Quenta Silmarillion, III -- Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor," written by J.R.R. Tolkien

Sources: www.henneth-annun.net/bios_view.cfm?scid=126, Pinterest, Twitter, IMDb, Reddit, various, etc...

[almostlookedhuman]

[starspray]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Elrond Peredhel & Eluréd Characters: Elrond Peredhel, Eluréd (Tolkien) Additional Tags: War of the Last Alliance, Rivendell, SWG Challenge (Tolkien), Plans For The Future Series: Part 14 of No Tale Tells, Part 45 of Wisdom of the Evening Star Summary:

On a foggy cold morning Eluréd sits atop Elrond's roof, watching the armies of Lindon and Arnor gather.

[mask131]

Magic the Gathering - The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth

The Saga cards

As with all modern MtG sets, Tales of Middle-Earth also has Saga cards. In this case, these Sagas allude to various legendary or historical events of Middle-Earth that happened prior to The Lord of the Rings (or they evoke historical documents or lore-songs evoked during The Lord of the Rings). As you can see, there are two Sagas by color.

The Tale of Tinuviel is, of course, the legendary love story of Luthien and Beren.

The War of the Last Alliance is the titular war that caused the defeat of Sauron.

Oath of the Grey Host refers to the events that led to the creation of the Oathbreaker ghosts.

One Ring to Rule Them All, is of course the creation of Sauron's Rings of Power.

The Bath Song is the Hobbits' bath song sung at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring.

The Scroll of Isildur is the titular scroll that Gandalf studies in the novel, the scroll made by Isildur and recording his account of the One Ring.

The Book of Mazarbul is the titular book, found in Khazad-dûm, and that recorded everything about Balin's folks.

There and Back Again alludes to the events of "The Hobbit", Bilbo's adventures to vanquish Smaug.

Fall of Gil-Galad evokes the legendary duel that opposed Gil-Galad to Sauron.

Long List of the Ents is the poem recited by Treebeard.

[now-you-sound-like-a-jedi]

Thinking about how Satine Kryze, founder of the Council of Neutral Systems, designated regent of 1500 star systems, would have been an invaluable asset to the Rebel Alliance.

And, pacifist or not, she absolutely would have joined it. Like, this woman was so angry over some children being poisoned that she burned a warehouse down and set up a whole plan to catch those responsible even if that meant putting herself in danger and arresting the head of her own cabinet. Can you imagine how she would react to Palpatine ordering the execution of the Jedi and demolishing galactic democracy? Satine would be up there with Bail Organa and Mon Mothma in the "powerful people who want Palpatine and his Empire to die" club.

I mean, she would be completely opposed to, say, Saw Gerrera's method of rebellion, but with her connections she'd have the whole intelligence-operation information-warfare thing down, and on that front at least she would definitely not be pulling any punches.

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Snort

What if oropher didn’t die in the battle of the last alliance but just used the opportunity to fake his death and escape with his wife and go on an extended honeymoon and leave all the damn paperwork and diplomacy with the noldor/sindar to his poor son.

Thranduil, when his father is finally waking up after getting many fatal injuries during battle: Ada!! Everyone thought you were gonna die!

Oropher, pausing when his son’s words registered: Everyone?

Thranduil, as he watches in disbelief as Oropher bolts away from him with a few supplies: Ada WAIT! DON’T LEAVE ME TO DEEL WITH THEM!

Oropher: don’t worry son, i’m sure you’ll do great!

————————————

Gil-galad: where is king oropher?

Thranduil, a petty lil bitch that will get back at his father: unfortunately, my my father king passed after suffering many grievous injuries during the last battle.

———————————-

Oropher, coming back from his long vacation in the third age: i’m dead? Nobody told me.

Thranduil: that’s what you get for abandoning me to those elves.

Thranduil: suffer