#fall of Eregion

[celebrimbot]

The sun rises over the mountains, and a stranger from distant lands approaches Eregion…

comic with @mrdaroga now in development

[hhimring]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s) Characters: Elrond Peredhel, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Noldo | Noldor, Sinda | Sindar Additional Tags: Warning: Sauron (Tolkien), Second Age of Arda (Tolkien), Eregion, Canon-Typical Violence, Inspired by Music, SWG Challenge (Tolkien) Summary:

A minor incident during the Fall of Eregion: no, this is not about the Gwaith-i-Mirdain or Celebrimbor, it is about the Dyers' Guild. Not one for the history books, but the Eldar remember...

[inahandful-of-dust]

I have a question. Today's was the second episode we got that was named after one of the lines referencing the rings - the ones specifically important for that episode, of course.

Does this mean in this season we are going to get something like Doomed to Die? Or To Rule them All? In the Darkness?

Because if Doomed to Die, or any title with the word Doom, is the title of the episode of the Fall of Eregion and Celebrimbor's death, I'm going to unironically lose my mind, and not in the fun way. In the Eternal Despair way.

In case you are confused: the Doom (of Mandos) was a huge thing back before the Sun and Moon were created, post-Darkening and, among other things, said a bunch of elves would end up dying in terrible ways - Yet slain ye may be, and slain ye shall be: by weapon and by torment and by grief.

Additionally, in case someone needed to review it, I'm putting the Rings' poem under the cut.

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

[annoyinglandmagazine]

Elrond and Celebrimbor headcanons

I have so many feels about these two during the second age and I thought I’d inflict some of the pain onto you

Their shared family history is so fascinating. They’re completely opposite in some ways yet so similar in others. We have Celebrimbor only grandchild of Feanor, possibly the most infamous person in all of Arda. He’s the son of Curufin, the son of Feanor generally considered most similar to his father. He’s the second in line to the house of Feanor and very much considered part of it. He then spends large parts of his life trying to distance himself from all of it after recognising how morally awful his family legacy is.

And then there’s Elrond. He’s the heir to all that have the most reason to despise the Feanorians and all they stand for. His father is Nolofinwean on the Elvish side, his mother Sinda and Teleri and his own childhood home was sacked by Feanorians at age 6 before being essentially kidnapped. Yet despite all this he still claims Maglor and Maedhros as his parents. He still chooses this heritage as part of who he is even if most people would disagree with him about it.

Like that already sets them up for a super complicated relationship already. Just imagine Celebrimbor seeing Elrond for the first time during the War of Wrath wearing a star of Feanor. Imagine them forming a bond over the shared trauma of being raised by people everyone sees as soulless monsters. Maybe Elrond’s openness about his love for Maglor and Maedhros finally makes Tyelpe feel he can acknowledge his heritage again. Only in small ways, he hasn’t forgiven them yet, but he feels like he is allowed to have more complicated views on the subject than just hating them outright. He probably develops a very protective attitude over him pretty quickly as he just can’t believe such a genuinely good and kind ray of sunshine could want to be publicly associated with him and his insane relatives without even having a blood relation.

They understand and recognise characteristics in each other that no one else would. They know how exactly what the other needs when they’re going through something and don’t even need to speak to communicate that they’re having a difficulty. After Elros dies Tyelpe is the first person to hold Elrond while he grieves over it and neither ever forget it. They also have the darkest sense of humour that everyone else finds too much and their banter freaks out anyone who overhears. After a while they decide on the label of cousins. They never go into what kind of cousins or through who they just leave it ambiguous to avoid complications.

I think their relationship deteriorated during the Annatar incident. Elrond knows something is up with Annatar the first time he meets him in Lindon and he convinces Gil Galad to send him away immediately. Gil Galad doesn’t take much convincing he doesn’t strike him as trustworthy either and whenever Galadriel and Elrond seem to agree it’s generally a good idea to listen to them. And then he hears Annatar is in Eregion.

On his next visit he is hostile to Annatar the whole time and it sets Tyelpe on edge. He’s never imagined his sweet cousin could be so unpleasant towards one of his dearest *friends* while staying in his house. The look in his eyes reminds Tyelpe too much of the look his Maedhros would get sometimes. Elrond is freaking out the whole time because something is off! How can no one else see how messes up this guy’s aura is? It’s taking all his willpower not to go full Melian on the spot, all this guys energy is so absolutely wrong!

It culminates and they get into an Arguement. Tyelpe is convinced Elrond’s trauma and problematic role models are finally getting to him and he’s started seeing the enemies where there are none, just like his uncles did. Celebrimbor knows what paranoia looks like and he swore to himself never too become like that. Elrond just knows something is about to go terribly wrong and he needs to stop it but Celebrimbor won’t listen to him. Tyelpe had alway trusted his counsel up to now and he takes this new unwillingness to hear him out as further signs of manipulation. This gets very intense with Celebrimbor saying that Elrond was corrupted by his upbringing but it is past the point of no return when Elrond compares his blindness to that of Feanor. When Elrond draws his sword at Annatar after he sees him the next day Tyelpe tells him to leave. That’s the last time they see each other.

Several decades later Gil Galad receives a letter with Vilya enclosed in it. They know something must be very wrong for him to open the channels of communication after so many years of silence and Elrond convinces Gil Galad to let him head to Eregion at once. Eventually he relents despite his worry for Elrond’s well being and desire to accompany him himself, on the condition that Elrond brings Glorfindel with him. When Elrond arrives he is greeted be the sight of Tyelpe’s body being used as a banner.

He fights like a force more than a person, scarcely recognisable and slaying without effort or thought simply on pure instinct and raw power, all the drills he’d ever completed flowing entirely naturally. Eventually he recovers the corpse or what is left of it. He manages to lead his soldiers to retreat in what would become Imladris. When Glorfindel finds him he sees him cradling the body and knows not to speak. He helps him dig a grave and watches as he cleanses the blood from Celebrimbor’s wounds before laying him gently down. He never tells any save Galadriel and Gil Galad where he is buried for fear of vandals. He tells his children of Tyelpe’s kindness, his perseverance and desire to do good and help others no matter what.

[sesamenom]

@general-illyrin @tar-thelien @who-needs-words I think you all mentioned being interested in the reverse gondolin au - is anyone interested in helping with wrangling the timelines, especially the second age stuff? Here's the current outline:

(Edit: anyone feel free to help out if you're interested!)

YT 14365 - Birth of Lomion

YT 14373/FA 1 - Death of Argon

FA

2 - Aredhel adopts Lomion

300 - Birth of Idril

316 - Turgon & Idril kidnapped by Eol

400 - Turgon & Idril rescued. Death of Eol

465 - Finrod more-peacefully passes throne to orodreth while on Quest. Everyone except beren still dies

472 - Nirnaeth. Turgon named High King of the Noldor.

476 - Turgon abdicates official title. Aredhel named High King of the Noldor.

496 - Tuor comes to Gondolin

502 - Wedding of Idril and Tuor

503 - Births of Earendil and Elwing. Idril begins to have foresight dreams about the Fall.

506 - Second Kinslaying. C^3 dead, celebrimbor stays in gondolin. Aredhel denounces the oath/kinslaying and disowns C^3

Elwing survives & is found by Oropher & Thranduil // Galadriel & Celeborn. oropher, thranduil, oropher's wife, and thranduil's then-gf // galadriel & celeborn take Elwing to Gondolin as refugees. The Silmaril is left hidden in the woods of melian's domain.

507 - Elwing comes to Gondolin.

509 - Idril captured by Morgoth. Idril reveals the location of Gondolin in exchange for an Oath to not harm her family (Turgon, Tuor, and Earendil). Idril rescued.

510 - Gondolin prepares for war with Morgoth.

513-522 - Siege of Gondolin. Deaths of Duilin and Rog. Gothmog slain by Aredhel the Huntress. First use of the Three Rings by Lomion and Celebrimbor in defense of Gondolin. House of the Hammer of Wrath destroyed.

523 - Maedhros believes a Silmaril is with Elwing at Gondolin.

525 - Earendil weds Elwing. Lomion weds ???. Adoption of Gil-Galad

532 - Births of Elrond and Elros.

538 - Third Kinslaying at Gondolin. Death of Amras. Elrond and Elros kidnapped by Maglor. Deaths of Elwing and Turgon. Second use of the Three Rings by Lomion and Celebrimbor. Deaths of Maedhros and Aredhel. Lomion named King of Gondolin and High King of the Noldor. Deaths of Salgant, Penlod, and Tuor. Earendil named Lord of the House of the Wing.

540-549 - War declared between Gondolin and the Feanorians of Himring over the Third Kinslaying and kidnapping of Princes Elrond and Elros.

549 - Elrond and Elros recovered. Feanorians and Gondolin severely weakened. Celebrimbor // Gil-Galad declared heir to the High Kingship.

552-554 - Second Siege & Fall of Gondolin. Third use of the Three Rings by Lomion and Celebrimbor. Deaths of Ecthelion, Glorfindel, Egalmoth, and Turgon. Idril and Celebrimbor lead survivors through the Secret Way.

555 - Gondolithlim refugees arrive at Sirion.

556 - Idril departs for Valinor.

558 - Earendil searches for Valinor.

560 - Havens of Sirion destroyed by Morgoth. Gondolithlim/Doriathrim survivors scattered. Elrond and Elros rescued (as adults) by Maglor.

572 - Morgoth controls Beleriand. Earendil and reembodied Elwing come to Valinor and rally the Host.

575-617 - War of Wrath

618 - Maglor claims the Silmaril from Eonwe's camp and casts himself into the Sea. Death of Maglor.

620 - End of the First Age.

SA

1 - Founding of the Grey Havens and Lindon under High King Lomion

2 - Elros becomes the first King of Numenor

c. 500 - Sauron returns to Middle-Earth in the East.

650 - Eregion is founded

1000 - Galadriel is given Vilya; Lomion wields Nenya

1170 - Annatar comes to Lindon and Lomion turns him away. Lomion warns Celebrimbor of Eregion of his suspicions.

1200 - Annatar comes to Eregion. Celebrimbor takes him in to monitor.

1250 - Celebrimbor creates the Seven; Lomion creates the Nine.

1410 - Annatar is kicked out of Eregion.

1600 - The One Ring is forged. Sauron remains in hiding.

1610 - Sauron begins to gather and prepare armies in the East.

1673 - War of the Elves and Sauron begins.

1675 - Sauron invades Eriador.

1677 - Fall of Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor and Lomion remain at the House of the Mirdain. Death of Celebrimbor in battle // Fourth use of the Three in battle. Sauron does not learn of the Seven. Founding of Imladris.

1678 - Sauron defeated by the Numenoreans and the Elves of Lindon.

1679 - Sauron flees to Mordor. First White Council held.

3147 - Civil war in Numenor.

3225 - Ar-Pharazon seizes the Sceptre.

3228 - Elrond claims the Sceptre. Ar-Pharazon disowned. Tar-Miriel named Ruling Queen.

3232 - Sauron taken to Numenor as a prisoner.

3274 - Elrond kicks Sauron out of Numenor and outlaws the morgoth cult.

3310 - Morgoth cult publicly reappears.

3319 - Downfall of Numenor. Tar-Miriel leads a greater force of the Faithful away.

(green // blue means two main options, red means i need to think about it more)

The main details I'm figuring out right now are

does Celebrimbor still die at Eregion - I don't think he's getting captured/tortured, but he could still die in the battle. On the other hand, he could probably survive by using Narya & Lomion using Nenya, but that would definitely have repercussions further down the line

how does Idril's deal work - I'm currently thinking of Idril exchanging the location of Gondolin for her family's guaranteed safety, because it seems in character for Reverse Idril? But on the other hand, even if I limit it to immediate family at the time of the oath (tuor, turgon, earendil) then idk where turgon dies? Maybe Maglor can kill him but that seems kind of random

where and how does Turgon die

how does Prince Elrond's character even work

how does Numenor still fall when factoring in Prince Elrond - I'm thinking that the morgoth death cult gained enough traction during the time sauron was there that even after Elrond kicks him out, the cult still sticks around and reemerges later? The Fall still happens, but they never go to attack valinor and there's a good deal more Faithful (maybe 40-60%?)

[poetry-draws]

For a time, the Hollin Gate remains open... For a time, refugees of Eregion have somewhere to run.....

But what will become of them? What does Durin III have to say about all this? Tune in for the epic fic reveal in September for @cycas's answer to these questions!

One of my pieces for this year's Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang (@tolkienrsb)

[lowcountry-gothic]

The Forging of the Rings, by Alan Lee. From The Fall of Númenor: And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-Earth, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

[silver-grasp]

I've definitely made a post before about the various permutations of "friends to enemies to lovers" and how they can be applied to silvergifting but I still think that one works best fundamentally. they are dead who labored as friends and they are dead who struggled as foes and all that

[aspiringnexu]

I’ve played Shadows of Mordor and Shadows of War so I’m very used to Edgy, Sourpuss Wraith Celebrimbor who was game-canonically so fucking pissed at Sauron that he refused to leave Middle-Earth until he happened to find Talion and so began their decades long Old Married Couple dynamic. Until Celebrimbor fucks it up. Several times.

Now that Celebrimbor is very different to this new interpretation of Celebrimbor in TROP and honestly... I dig it. This Celebrimbor has eccentric uncle vibes. He has no thoughts other than for his forge and for Making Things in it. Every time we see him outside of the forge he seems nervous and he only gets fired up (forgive the pun) when Gil-Galad refuses to let him Make Stuff. He’s adorable. And I can totally see why he would fall into Sauron’s trap. The man has not an ounce of guile in his body if he isn’t following orders to keep a secret, why would he expect duplicity from his new smithing buddy?

And I know some in the fandom give him shit for not thinking of creating a mithril alloy but honestly I’ve done the same thing. Not with smithing of course but even if you’re an expert, sometimes the simplest answer can be staring you in the face and you won’t see it until someone pulls you out of your own head. And Celebrimbor is Feanor’s grandson, The master smith of Eregion. No one is going to contradict him. Until Sauron comes along and Celebrimbor latches onto this new partner like a touch-starved limpet.

Such a shame that when shit goes even more sideways Sauron’s gonna use his dead body as a war banner. They had such good chemistry.

[incorrect-lord-of-the-rings]

NOT looking at the trending page or at the Rings of Power tag because I wanna maybe be surprised once but I don't think that's gonna happen

[celebrimbot]

Chapter 1 of the Fall of Eregion is coming soon :)

[ailendolin]

I cannot stop thinking about episode 6.

The way Celebrimbor shoved Annatar feels like such a triumphant moment. He is physically fighting back against him now, not just mentally, and yet he is so deep inside the labyrinth already that this small win is nothing but the setup for another trap. He doesn't even realise what time of day it is supposed to be, and he is so desperate for everything to be all right that the too perfect vision Annatar creates for him is immediately a comfort.

And Annatar - the worst thing is, even when he is clearly angry and impatient and fearing to lose control, he is not lying. "Leave this tower now, and when the Men of Middle-Earth fall, I swear to you every soul in the seen or unseen world will know that it was you who was the architect of their demise." Because this is exactly what is going to happen - just not because Celebrimbor is leaving the tower, but because he is returning to it.

And don't get me started on Galadriel and how easily she allowed herself to be manipulated into giving up strategic information not just regarding Lindon's troops and who is leading them but also Nenya. She gave it to Elrond to keep it safe and here she is, telling Adar exactly where to find it, endangering not only Nenya but also Elrond and all of Eregion in the process.

It is all about manipulation, about people thinking they have the upper hand when they have not. And after what we've seen Annatar do this episode, how can the viewers know what is real or not? That moment in the promo for 2x07 between Galadriel and Celebrimbor - is that something that is truly going to happen or is it just another one of Annatar's realities, created to comfort Celebrimbor so he will forge the Nine? How long has Celebrimbor already been alone in the tower? How long will it take him to realise how lost he truly is?

[saurons-pr-department]

Isn't silvergifting weird ? I mean celebrimbor is the guy whom sauron straight up tortured and killed him painfully and it's 2nd most popular ship for celebrimbor?

At the risk of being a bit too blunt here, it's really only weird if you're under the (incorrect) impression that shipping is like when you think two of your friends would make a cute couple and not simply the idea that the dynamic between two or more characters is compelling in some way (which is what I've usually seen it be in the almost 20 years I've been in fandom spaces). There is value in stories that end badly. Lies and betrayal have just as much reason to be in a story as any other element.

Celebrimbor and Annatar/Sauron worked alongside each other for centuries. The arrival of Annatar usherd in a golden age of new discoveries and power for the Elves of Ost-in-Edhel/ Eregion as a whole. Celebrimbor let Annatar in despite the warnings of family, like Galadriel, and the Elves of Lindon telling Annatar to jog on and take his suspicious self elsewhere. Is he trying to make up for his family's tragedies caused by lack of trust? Does he want power? Does he want to outshine his (in)famous grandfather? Get one up on his father? And that's just Celebrimbor's side of this. There is so much to explore between these two, so it's really not surprising that romance is something that people include.

There's also quite a few flavours of Silverfisting/Silvergifting out there. There's the one where they both fall for each other. There's Sauron stringing Celebrimbor along because it suits his purposes. There's Celebrimbor playing along to try and get close enough to find out what Sauron is up to. There's Celebrimbor thinking Sauron actually wants to turn over a new leaf. There's the version where that's even true! There's Sauron thinking Celebrimbor could actually swayed to follow him. Etc. etc. etc. etc. I could go on forever.

And on a more general level, some of us like sad stories. Sometimes the cruelty just hits that much harder when it was preceeded by kindness. "I hate you" can sound kind of bland on its own, but when it replaces "I love you" it has the ability to cut that much deeper. It adds layers to each happy scene to know that that's not how it's going to end, to be privy to knowledge of a future the characters are hurtling towards, blissfully ignorant.

A ship doesn't need to be nice. It's purpose is to put an interesting story in front of us. And sometimes that interest comes from watching on in horror as the inevitable catches up with the characters.

[sesamenom]

handful of reverse gondolin doodles, this time featuring lomion, tyelpe, and baby gil!

[minubell]

AU where Sauron goes to Eonwe after the war and begs for pardon. Where Eonwe apologetically tells him that is something he cannot grant, and Sauron will need to go to Valinor. Where Sauron decides to Nope right out of there rather than face possible punishment for his actions. Where Sauron’s fear of the Valar is never overridden by his guilt to rebuild. Where even when his solitude grows too much for him, he is wholly unwilling to actually show his face in Eregion.

So.

A black cat with orange eyes slinks into Eregion in the middle of the night. No one sees it arrive, but it must be a furious hunter for the mice and the rats and the birds in Ost-in-Edhil all but vanish overnight.

The animals know he is not one of them. They flee before the flick of his tail, and the city is his.

It takes the elves some time to notice their visitor. The cat is strangely aloof and stalks along the tops of walls and the rooftops rather than roam the streets. It is never seen eating. Never seen sleeping. Never even seen grooming, despite how luxurious its coat remains. It is not merely quiet, but completely silent. It never truly interacts with the elves, and they are more than happy to ignore it until-

“Would you like to come in?”

The first words spoken to cat are soft, kind, and accompanied by an open door. The heat radiating out from the forge is warm and comfortable and familiar, yet the cat merely stares from its perch upon a roof’s edge across the street. The snow swirls between the two of them, grey in the moonlight, and it is not the cat who blinks first.

“I’ll leave the door open for you,” Celebrimbor offers, leaning down to set a brick against the heavy door, propping it open. He returns to his work, humming softly as he does so.

If he notices the cat slink inside the forge a few minutes later, he does not comment.

If he notices the cat watching him work over the next few weeks, he does not say anything.

If he notices the cat drift closer and closer as the days pass until he could almost reach out to touch it, he gives no indication.

Until falls asleep there, as he often does when he is too busy with his work to return home.

He awakens to find the cat staring at him, a massive ruby between its teeth which it promptly drops in front of him as if it were a dead mouse before fleeing out the door. The next time he accidentally slumbers within the forges, its gift for him is an equally large sapphire, the following the next by some beautiful white adamant stone. Celebrimbor is left rightfully confused, though he supposes if pigs can hunt truffles why can’t cats hunt for gemstones?

The nickname Celebrimbor gives the stray is well-earned. It is, after all, quite good at giving gifts.

AU where Annatar is a cat.