#morgoth statue

[melkors-big-tits]

It's time to finally reveal...

MORGOTH IN ALL HIS DARK GLORY!!💖💖💖

Click the pictures for better quality~😘

He came out looking So GOOD~💖

I'm also happy to announce that my teacher finally graded my work

AND I GOT A 5/5!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

I really wouldn't have cared what number I got cuz

I FUCKING LOVE HOW HE CAME OUT AND I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF THAT I COULD JUST BURST!!!!💖💖🥰😭🥰💖

Also, also; If anyone's interested, here's the library's official website with the lil' info about Morgoth that I wrote (I messed it up but oh well~ that's what happens when you have learning disabilities/dyslexia😌)

[fistfuloflightning]

This is my home With my father, mother, brother Oh so noble, oh so strong

[the-werewithal]

I kinda want a Smallville-esque take on the Silmarillion. It's set exclusively back in Aman with the implication that Feanor's gonna start shit aaaany second now. He's working on some very impressive jewels in his workshop, Morgoth's looking pretty suspicious, and is that a giant spider I hear scuttling in the south? But its all fake outs, and it's just seven seasons of the messiest family drama imaginable. Noldor scandals and brewing rifts between them and the Valar. Maglor breaks a lute string and suspects sabotage. Aredhel steals a horse and gets lost in the woods. Feanor spends a really moving episode visiting the garden of his Mother's body. Finwe tries to be a good father and accidentally triggers a huge fight at least once a season. The Ambarussa make problems on purpose. Finrod befriends a wild dog. Nerdanel's latest statue of Maedhros gets its arm smashed off at the elbow. Finarfin collects novelty pens. Galadriel pretends she's above it all while being nothing of the sort. Gandalf stirs trouble. The very last shot is Feanor finishing the silmarils.

It wouldn't be good, but it'd be funny

[novemberthecatadmirer]

One thing I always feel very important about the whole Maeglin selling out Gondolin for life & freedom matter is...

Morgoth promised him lordship and Idril AFTER Maeglin already told him about Gondolin’s location and defense secrets.

Yeah obviously the promise of power and Idril might be what kept him in line and continue to cooperate with Morgoth after returning to Gondolin (can be interpreted in various ways from “the world is ending better take care of my own desire” to “the world is ending better preserve what I can still save”)

But the lordship and Idril were NOT what directly caused the initial betrayal.

Here comes my dumb headcanon:

Maeglin initially cracked not because of anything related to Idril and Tuor. 

He cracked because of the torture & what Turgon did to Hurin.

When Hurin came to seek help nearly three decades after his imprisonment, Turgon assumed Hurin was released because he sold out the location of Gondolin for freedom. Turgon was overwhelmed by this assumption and let emotions run over his own judgement (again). He directly told the eagle “my heart is shut,” and refused to take Hurin in.

Of course Turgon changed his mind after calming down. But it took too long; the night fell and the eagles could not find Hurin again. From Hurin’s pov he was abandoned by his friend (or even a father figure), and thus was driven to complete despair, crying out in pain, accidentally letting Morgoth know the general location of Gondolin. 

I think it is rather possible that Maeglin knew of this, at the moment or later.

Then when he got captured by Morgoth and put through tortures, he would realize he was essentially in the role of Hurin.

Turgon did love Maeglin. But Maeglin knew Turgon treasured Hurin too. The king treasured Hurin enough to make an exception and let the brothers leave the city to return home. Probably after Unnumbered Tears Turgon also built statues in Gondolin honoring Hurin. But when Hurin actually showed up at door and seeked help? Turgon immediately grew suspicious and assumed that Hurin betrayed the city.

And Morgoth could even tell Maeglin what really happened to Hurin. How Hurin endured torture for 28 years without betraying Gondolin, but was viewed as traitor and abandoned by the king of Gondolin anyway. How Turgon became the last straw that break Hurin into leaking the location. How ultimately it was thanks to Turgon’s closed heart that Maeglin got captured.

In a word, I think what caused Maeglin’s betrayal was him realizing that

Morgoth could torture him forever

No one from Gondolin would come to save him (And other realms had fallen so there was really no hope)

Even he suffered forever to keep the secrets, it was expected and not appreciated by Gondolin

Even if he found a way to escape back to Gondolin, he might still be rejected/executed by Turgon because no one was allowed to lead danger to Gondolin (according to “of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin”)

Morgoth already knew the general location, no matter he cope or not Gondolin would eventually be found. And then Turgon would believe it was him that betrayed Gondolin anyway.

So yeah.

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

I just think Turgon rejecting Hurin should has more long term damages than letting Morgoth knew the general location of Gondolin (which was already very bad).

It was something that could send out all the wrong messages and greatly damage the morale. I always imagine the event was kept as a secret, and even most of the lords did not know about the matter. 

I think Tuor absolutely was kept out of it and he never knew he was so close to meeting his uncle until after the Fall.

Idril probably knew it, and helped to keep the secret from Tuor, and felt guilty. And that was one of the crucial moments that made she further distrust Turgon’s judgement. (I want all the “my father did an evil thing and I am helping him to keep it as a secret” angst)

Maeglin... Actually fought the losing war along with Hurin and Huor and was there when they sacrificed themselves to help troop of Gondolin escape. IDK I think that’s another “silently pondering in horror” moment for him. And he kept thinking about it, and kept trying to not thinking about it, until Morgoth forced him to think.

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Hey, silmarillion fandom, quick q:

I might have missed it or not, but did the noldo (fingon, nolofinwe, maedhros, etc) have a plan on how exactly they could get rid of morgoth, given his status of a vala?

Like, did they have a plan to detain him using special measures, could they kill him on their own, like did they have anyway to bypass his invulnerability?

Bc i would think that that is priority #1 if you were to fight (what is essentially) a god, but idk if we really got into detail about that. Like with sauron, you have the whole ring thing, and how that will attribute to sauron’s defeat, but did we have smth like that with morgoth?

Or were they just kinda hoping that it would work out?

Like, did they have a plan to off morgoth himself when they formed the union of mardhros?

Once again, i could be missing smth, i’m just like “they’re trying to kill/defeat a god, but how are they gonna kill/defeat a god?”

[buffyfan145]

I do not remember the online source, but I remember reading something about Ulmo having such a huge grudge against Morgoth and his minions that he installed in them a deep fear of the sea and its dangers. That detail along with Sauron being a fire Maia made his underwater rescue of Galadriel even more amazing. He knew Ulmo hated his guts and probably sent that sea monster to attack him. His powers were also probably pretty vulnerable in water. But, he still did it for Gal because she had tried to save him first by telling him to "bind" himself to her. I also think there's something to be said how Sauron instinctively feared the sea, but also described it as "fair" when associating it with Gal. I think he sees her as something equally dangerous, unpredictable, and alluring, which makes her all the more tempting in his eyes.

If I'm remembering right that is correct about Ulmo and it going back to Morgoth originally wanting to turn the Maiar Ossë to his side but Ossë's wife Uinen was able to convince him not to follow Morgoth and then Ulmo and the rest of the Valar & Maiar forgave Ossë. That's when Morgoth went after Mairon/Sauron and it worked that time. So yeah Sauron totally would've been afraid of water and it is more remarkable that he did dive to save Galadriel despite that monster and fear of what Ulmo was going to do. Plus, remember that statue in the prison where Halbrand and Galadriel was of Uinen. So it's showing the connections between those stories again, how Ossë is forgiven and Sauron is not, and about Halbrand/Sauron and Galadriel being opposites drawn to each other too.

[nenyabusiness]

Regarding Halbrand/Sauron and the concept of humiliation.

In The Silmarillion, right after Morgoth’s defeat, Sauron was given a chance to repent. He might even have taken it, if it hadn’t been for his pride and his fear of humiliation.

“When Tharongorodrim was broken and Morgoth overthrown, Sauron put on his fair hue again and did obeisance to Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds. And some hold that this was not at first falsely done, but that Sauron in truth repented, if only out of fear, being dismayed by the fall of Morgoth and the great wrath of the Lords of the West. But it was not within the power of Eönwë to pardon those of his own order, and he commanded Sauron to return to Aman and there receive the judgement of Manwë. Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence, it might be, of long servitude of his good faith; for under Morgoth his power had been great. Therefore when Eönwë departed he hid himself in Middle-earth; and he fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth had laid upon him were very strong.”

Am I going to dig deep into something from The Rings of Power that might turn out completely irrelevant because I’m looking way too deep into it? Yes, yes I am. Here we go.

I’d say that the first time we see an example of Halbrand/Sauron’s issue with humiliation is in Episode 3, when the Númenóreans in that tavern make fun of his lower status. Even though they’re only insulting his low Man disguise, they still manage to get under his skin. We get to see that glorious murder glare, and he then proceeds to beat the shit out of them in the alley.

This look serves no purpose for his disguise. It’s clearly a crack in his façade, because moments later, the mask is back on, and he’s brushing it all off as a joke. That, right there, though? That’s Halbrand/Sauron feeling humiliated, and it affects him to the point that he nearly drops his disguise on the spot.

Then we have a less explosive event in Episode 5, where Galadriel outmaneuvers him in front of Queen Míriel. This interaction doesn’t end up in violence, but it does lead to him ripping off his pouch and giving Galadriel the silent treatment for quite some time. She doesn’t insult him like the Númenóreans, but she tricks him. There’s definitely a sense of humiliation in that, and he’s not having it.

This leads me to Episode 8, when Galadriel declines his proposal. This is, by far, the strongest emotional reaction that we see from Halbrand/Sauron in the entire season. It’s hard to tell whether or not he meant everything he said about making her his queen and binding himself to her light, but to me, that final reaction was genuine. Would a denied business proposal cause such anger? No. There’s more to it than that.

Through the season, he’s revealed bits and pieces of himself to her, but in this particular scene, he puts it all out in the open. His past. His relief of being free from Morgoth. His dream of healing Middle-earth. His wish to do so with her by his side. If he’s being even remotely genuine here, he’s showing her his true self, and all he gets in return is hatred and repulsion. Is there anything more humiliating than that? Letting someone in, and and finding that they’re disgusted by what they see?

So, how does Halbrand/Sauron deal with this humiliation?

... not great.

Anyway, let’s see how long this temper tantrum lasts in the second season. Considering how he usually handles humiliation in Tolkien’s works, it might be a while.

[beyonddarkness]

Sauron Unchained

Remember when Sauron mentioned "THAT first sunrise," on the raft in the Vision? (Not THE first sunrise. The sun already existed. He's talking about THAT first sunrise, after Morgoth was defeated.)

"When Morgoth was defeated, it was as if a great, clenched fist had released its grasp from my neck. And in the stillness of that first sunrise, at last! I felt the light of The One again. And I knew, if ever I was to be forgiven, then I had to heal everything that I had helped ruin" (1x08).

That sunrise was a pretty big deal.

Let's review this moment Sauron describes from The Silmarillion.

(Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath.)

Before the rising of the sun Eärendil slew Ancalagon the Black, the mightiest of the dragon-host, and cast him from the sky; and he fell upon the towers of Thangorodrim, and they were broken in his ruin. Then the sun rose, and the host of the Valar prevailed, and well-nigh all the dragons were destroyed; and all the pits of Morgoth were broken and unroofed, and the might of the Valar descended into the deeps of the earth. [...]

Then Morgoth was bound.

[...] Thus an end was made of the power of Angband in the North, and the evil realm was brought to naught; and out of the deep prisons a multitude of slaves came forth beyond all hope into the light of day, and they looked upon a world that was changed.

Those slaves who emerged were not the servants of Morgoth (like Orcs, Balrogs, etc.), but rather Elves, the likes of Gwindor, who were captured, imprisoned and enslaved, sent deep into the mines to dig.

But Sauron described his experience from their perspective.

Sooo... why?

"When Morgoth was defeated, it was as if a great, clenched fist had released its grasp from my neck. And in the stillness of THAT first sunrise, at last! I felt the light of The One again."

Some complain:

Why did the writers make it seem like Morgoth made Sauron evil, against his will?

-----They didn't.-----

Why did they change Sauron's character from liking Morgoth because of efficiency, to loathing him?

-----They didn't.-----

Why did they make it so Sauron only allied himself with Morgoth in order to survive?

-----They didn't.-----

They didn't change anything. They didn't even have to add anything. None of this came out of the clear blue just for fun. It's not even just for the sake of making the show.

Sauron manipulated Galadriel, but he did so with the TRUTH, making it easier for her to pity him than if he flat-out lied.

["And in the stillness of that first sunrise..."]

(Meanwhile, he talks about forgiveness.)

Galadriel: "No penance could ever erase the evil you have done."

Sauron: "That is not what you believe." [...] After our victory, you said that whatever I'd done before, I could be free of it now. [...] I told you the truth! I told you that I had done evil, and you did not care! Because you knew that our past meant nothing, weighed against our future. :D"

What is this 'trauma' he allegedly experienced? Sure, he was wary of the consequences of crossing Morgoth, but I mean ... he was the guy--Morgoth's #1--his right hand Maia--his most devoted servant. He would never do anything in disobedience or rebellion. Else how would he achieve such a status?

The implication of his tale is not that he was FORCED to Morgoth's allegiance, giving him this general fear that was finally lifted when Morgoth fell.

Something happened.

He made ONE mistake.

(And since Patrick said they're not in the business of pure Easter eggs, there's a REASON they showed this.)

In Sauron's most humiliating moment, being in the jaws of Huan, Lúthien told him "that he should be stripped of his raiment of flesh, and his ghost be sent quaking back to Morgoth; and she said: 'There everlastingly thy naked self shall endure the torment of his scorn, pierced by his eyes, unless thou yield to me the mastery of thy tower.' (The Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien).

Before that, Sauron had it all. Unbeknownst to him at the time, he already had Beren (who had a price put on his head by Morgoth) IN HIS PRISON. But hearing Lúthien sing to Beren in the hour of Finrod's death, he sought great reward for bringing her to Morgoth. When his dying servant told him that Huan was there, he was like, Oh. I got this.

Things went sideways, and he had no choice but to yield to Huan, or face Morgoth's wrath... so he let them go.

As a result, Beren and Lúthien waltzed their way into Angband, stole a Silmaril (eventually) and escaped.

So, um...?

Charlie referenced what Lúthien told Sauron, when speaking about the 'clenched fist' line. His paraphrasing is quite unnerving, given that he knows what backstory we are going to see next season... and I don't know... but I would like to... and it makes me wonder.

"You can go whimpering back to your master and tell him that you've let me in. You've failed. You haven’t defended your kingdom." [...] I read from that this thing that Morgoth is so powerful and so scary, that it would've meant consequences for Sauron. - Charlie Vickers

Where exactly was Sauron after his failure? He dwelt in Taur-nu-Fuin for a while, but a lot of time passed between then and the end of the War. So...WHERE DID HE GO? Wouldn't the most devoted and powerful of all the servants of Morgoth be actively involved in the defense against the host of the Valar?? One might say things were trending upward for him...

...until Finrod, Beren, Lúthien, and Huan came along.

How long would it have taken Morgoth to find out that everything was Sauron's fault? How long would it have taken to hunt Sauron down, as he fled?

Not very long, I reckon.

[...] there must have been an element to their relationship where Morgoth was someone he feared at times, or someone that would punish him when he failed. [...] there must have been some truth in [the clenched fist] line. - Charlie Vickers

No wonder he described the end of the War as if he had been among the slaves who emerged from the deep prisons..."beyond all hope into the light of day"...reminiscing the first sunrise after the overthrow of Thangorodrim, and the great, clenched fist that released its grasp from his neck as a result.

In the Great War, he wasn't just sitting in a tree, or even in a back-up tower, watching from the side-lines.

He failed Morgoth.

Miserably.

And was punished for it.

No wonder he was missing during the War of Wrath.

"What do you know of darkness?"

[outofangband]

(Just some more free form Maedhros post Angband thoughts as I work on revising my more detailed trauma posts! As always more can be found in the post Angband tag

Note: I now have a specific tag for the status and conditions of former prisoners in Beleriand in addition to my post Angband tag. It’s “but ever the Noldor feared”. There’s obviously overlap between this and my post Angband tags because the ways trauma manifests and how it’s understood or misunderstood contributes to the dynamics but I wanted to have a specific tag for it!

Semi related post

Written in part for @nelyoslegalteam for always being so kind about my Maedhros content

but the shadow of his pain was on his heart

This is one of the only lines we receive with regards to Maedhros’s ordeal in Angband. Despite how brief it is I find it so poignant and evocative.

Beleriand lies in the shadow of Angband and that shadow lives in the hearts of those who know intimately that place of horror

A shadow darkens, it envelops, it obscures, and it does everything. Maedhros’s pain, the fear and grief and anger and shame that now live within him, can at times seem to eclipse all that he does and is.

Maedhros’s memories are glass and he cannot hold them without bringing blood, sharp and fragile as though contained something that would shatter around his thoughts and feelings when they came close to the surface. Often pieces would dig in so one word spoken, one finger upon his neck, one whiff of the suffocating smell of blood and heat and iron would embed itself in him until he wanted nothing more than oblivion. The throne room floor, the chains around his limbs and his neck. The voice of the Moringotto.

It could take him as suddenly as the sun obscured, the weight of his body as the ghost of his chains choked him.

And to others. The shadow of his pain is in his heart and upon his bearing; even years after there is pain in his steps on certain days, if you know how to see it.

(just a side note: the description of Tulkas's feelings seeing Melkor in Morgoth's Ring, how it "clouded his mirth" is genuinely such a good description of trauma even if it was intended that way)

The scrutiny that former thralls are subjected to becomes another shadow over him, one that he is perpetually aware of. Even when he has done nothing to cause any to doubt his loyalty, even when he pushes himself to the brink of collapse to fight and plan against the enemy, there are those who will never trust one who has returned from the pits of hell, who hold that he still lives against him or believe he simply wears the face of one of the Eldar

And for all that he is still fundamentally Maedhros, there are those who will see only the ways he has changed from the memories or stories of him that came before

The ways that one survives in Angband do not fade once one is no longer physically confined there. Angband seeks to strip away everything that one is and the fight to reclaim it is vicious, agonizing, and unsightly. The shame that weighs upon survivors is melded with the mistrust and hostility with which they are viewed with by others.

Survivors are known to steal (because nothing can be theirs and they do not trust that they will be given anything without a terrible price), to lie (because they have been forced to choke down the truth when it might lead to further pain, and so much leads to pain), they are known to attack even their own kin (because they are so very afraid).

Maedhros is not like this. He does not lie (not that might be detected) or steal and if he does not any longer attack others out of the fear they might not see

And his status, both before and after his imprisonment absolutely ease this particular burden. He might be among kinslaying nobles but they are nobles nonetheless and the mistrust and even hostility that is felt towards him, specifically regarding his captivity, is certainly mitigated by this. But it still reaches him.

His kinship to others who have been in the Hells of iron is a precarious thing. He can use it to his advantage at times and it can be used against him.

And as another shadow, post Angband there is always the ever present fear of imprisonment again. It ranges from a creeping dread to a visceral, desperate panic that can override all strategy and reason. Especially after some years of recovering and of recovering himself, there is the profound resolve that he cannot return to what he was there and that any violence or death, including and at times perhaps especially his own, is preferable to imprisonment and powerlessness to the extent that he suffered in Angband.

He will not go back to that again even if it means becoming unrecognizable in new ways.

[grey-gazania]

Throwback Thursday Sunday

@swanhild tagged me to share a fic that's more than a year old, so I'm picking one of my Girl-galad WIPs, which I started writing in 2019 and started posting in 2022.

The Kids Are All Right (Rated G, 6/? chapters posted)

As the survivors from Nargothrond come to Balar and the Fell Winter sets in, the girl who will become Gil-galad struggles alongside her friends to find a ray of hope in a darkness that seems unending.

I will fully admit that this story is self-indulgent, because the entire Woman King AU is self-indulgent. I didn't expect it to have many (if any) readers, and so far I've been right, but I'm enjoying writing it and that's what counts! It's allowed me to explore a lot of my ideas and headcanons, such as:

Life on Balar, which at this point in time contains refugees from three longstanding communities (the Falathrim, the Northern Sindar, and the Noldor of Hithlum), with the survivors of the destruction of Nargothrond newly arrived at the beginning of the story. Thinking about how these disparate ethnic groups would interact has been fun.

Following on that, I'm also exploring what it would be like for Gil-galad to grow up between these communities. Her father is the crown prince and later the High King of the Noldor, and her mother is from a high-status family of the Mithrim Sindar, but Ereiniel has in fact spent most of her life among the Falathrim. This frequently leaves her feeling like she's too Noldorin for the Sindar and too Sindarin for the Noldor, but in this story she's coming to realize that her understanding of and affection for all three groups could actually become one of her strengths.

The arc of Ereiniel's relationship with Círdan. The major question I always ask myself when I write a genderswap AU in any fandom is, How would so-and-so being female change things? Círdan's relationship with young Gil-galad is one of those changes. Ereinion, as crown prince and Fingon's heir, would have been much more involved with Círdan as a child. But Ereiniel, being female and not in the line of succession, isn't perceived as needing the same degree of fostering that her male counterpart would. She respects Círdan and knows she can rely on him, but her care was left largely to her mother when she was growing up, and her education was left to a tutor Fingon had selected before his death. She wasn't fostered in the traditional sense because no one ever expected that she would end up ruling her people.

Young people coming of age in the decline following the Nírnaeth Arnoediad. Most of the young adults in this story were born sometime within fifty years before the Dagor Bragollach, when the Siege of Angband was still in place and things were looking more hopeful. Their families were intact and they grew up being told that Morgoth would be defeated. But that's not how things are anymore. What is it like to be the Elf equivalent of an 18-30 year old in a world that's now suffering one catastrophic defeat after another, where your parents and their parents and all the other older adults in your lives have, through no fault of their own, neither a plan nor the ability to stand against the monster Vala who's doing his damnedest to destroy the world and all its people? How do you plan for life in a future that you know there's a good chance you may not have? How do you grow up with the possible deaths of you and everyone you love hanging over your head like a sword?

Elvish local government. Yes, Círdan is in charge on Balar, but he can't possibly being seeing to every little thing. Someone has to make sure the roads are in good repair, and the snow is getting shoveled, and the cesspits are being emptied and composted. Somebody has to adjudicate the smaller disputes and hear the local concerns. So I've invented local neighborhood councils for this purpose.

Erestor. My Erestor is not nobility, nor is he half-Elven, nor is he a Fëanorian. He's a regular-degular Falathron Sinda, but he's intensely curious, a voracious learner, and hungry for knowledge. It's his mind that makes him notable, not his family background.

Celebrimbor and Gil-galad. The published Silm is pretty sparse on what Celebrimbor does in the First Age following his renunciation of his father, so I kept him in Nargothrond, and he arrives on Balar with the first wave of Nargothrond refugees. He's cut ties with his family. Ereiniel, on the other hand, is hungry for connection with her father's kin. And I truly believe that Gil-galad and Celebrimbor were friends before the whole Annatar thing, so this story is allowing me to explore the early days of that budding friendship.

With my OCs Henthael and Gurvadhor, I'm fine-tuning my ideas regarding Fingolfin's followers -- how loyal they would feel to him as the one who led them across the ice and ruled them for four and a half centuries, and how that loyalty might or might not transfer to Fingon, who was his father's heir but also a Kinslayer. Whose loyalty might that fact affect? Who would overlook that pesky detail and who wouldn't?

And last but not least, Elvish gender roles and sexual norms, which I'm exploring via bisexual baby butch Ereiniel. I love her, your honor. ❤️

I am tagging: @vidumavi, @melestasflight, @cuarthol, @polutrope@, leucisticpuffin, @emyn-arnens, @polutrope, @swanmaids, @sallysavestheday, @thelordofgifs, @zealouswerewolfcollector, @hhimring, @elfscribe, @lucifers-cuvette, and anyone else who hasn't done this yet but wants to!

[melkors-big-tits]

LISTEN UP Y'ALL!!!

I just got an email from the library where my Morgoth statue is and they said that visitors have been Stealing the dark Lords jewelries!

The audacity!😤

People really be thinking that they're Luthien just because they too have a dog and a crusty hobo boyfriend😂🤣😂🤣

Not gonna lie I'm kinda touched that people have liked my statue enough to want to steal lil' mementos of it💕💖💖

[archiveofthelibrarian]

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

What if Glaurung had died at the hands of Fingon and his archers? What if Morgoth messed with powers beyond what he should?

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I kind of tried to mimic Tolkein's way of storytelling here, but I don't know how it went. There may be some unclear or vague parts, so feel free to ask me what I tried to say there.

You can find the masterpost with all relevant links here.

Trigger Warning: Implied abuse, implied torture

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Blood and Shadow

Chapter 2: Angband

You spent the next two hundred years following your awakening in the ritiul chamber of Angbad by learning about the world and your position in it.

You, who were called Naurdael the fire terror by the thralls, the head of the Melkorhini, was no more than a tool in his grand plan.

You were to know it and you were to accept it.

And know it, you did. But accept, you did not.

You trained in every weapon known in the face of Arda, and you crafted many weapons of great power in the great forges of Angband.

You apprenticed under Sauron, crafting many weapons and artifacts that would later bring terror to the hearts of all those who heard it.

Swords that were lighter than feathers yet struck heavier than Grond.

Arrows that traveled quicker than sound and pierced even the sturdiest of armors.

But among all your creations, you treasured one above all.

"Ruinëhatal" you called it in the language of the elves for you hated the way Black Speech grated against your mouth, fire spear.

Into Ruinëhatal you poured your power and your will and turned her into a weapon of unimaginable power.

Yet forgecraft alone could not raise your status in the eyes of your father.

So you kept training.

You trained yourself.

You trained in methods of torture and manipulation.

You learned of the world's history and the power of songs.

And finally, you learned how to sing songs of power in great likeness to your father, Melkor before his decline at the first battle.

But no matter how long you spent in Angband, it never became a home to you.

The halls were cold and the dungeons were cruel. Cries arose from every corner.

You learned to ignore, you learned to block out those cries.

You chose to harden your heart to protect yourself and you hated yourself for it.

But you had to survive.

There were just too many horrors in Angband.

But the worst of them all went unnoticed by the free peoples.

Orcs, as you found out, were horribly broken creatures.

Elves unbegotten they were, taken, twisted, and broken by your father shortly after their awakening.

The orc captains were the worst of them all.

Orc-captains were the worst of them all, taken away from their simple lives near Cuivienen and tortured in ways unimaginable, then broken and twisted into creatures of horrible looks and even more horrible hearts.

None of the 144 unbegotten had managed to get away from the influence of your father before it was too late.

You had 77 of the unbegotten, and unnumbered amounts of the aftercomer under your command as orcs.

Any time you reached out your mind to touch one of your captains to give them an order, you would feel their fear and see their memories.

Father had told you once that the twisted did not remember yet you knew that was untrue.

They remembered.

They remembered every single moment of their torture and they remembered every way their fëar were twisted.

It made your heart ache every time, to hear their screams, to listen to their despair.

You wished to do something, to at least be of use to these creatures whose suffering went unnoticed.

Yet you could do nothing. You had power outside yes, but you were powerless inside the fortress for there were powers way grander than what you had been given.

It was heartbreaking.

All you could do was not torture them any further

So you ignored them as well.

You ignored their screams and you ignored their cries.

You ignored them all, for better or worse, you ignored.

All that was horrible in Angband came together in you father, Melkor, and created the most terrible being in existence.

You hated him with with all your heart.

There were no words in any known language enough to fathom the depths of your hatred for him.

He would give you the cruelest of punishments for the slightest misspeak and yet he would overlook your mistakes in training.

He was so unpredictable.

And yet, why there was this smallest part in you that sought his approval and acknowledgment?

Why was it that every time he acknowledged your progress in training your heart soared?

Why did you feel so accomplished whenever he complimented your crafts?

Was this how a normal relationship between a child and their father should be like?

You tried to remember your actual father from your previous life.

You tried to picture his face and hear his voice but all you could see was the face of Melkor.

Melkor had dominated your mind and memories so much that you did not even remembered your own father.

You didn't remember how he treated you, how or if he loved you...

You didn't remember anything.

So you tried to find the memories of your mother.

You tried to see her face, hear her voice, and feel her embrace but you found none in your mind fortress.

No memories of warmth and love were left within your heart and mind for the years here had taken it all from you.

You wanted to scream and cry and beg Father to have those memories back.

But you did none for you could do none.

All you could do was stare at the black walls of your personal chambers for a long, long time until your elven servants came into your chambers in an unending line, waiting to dress you for battle.

Staring at your wall, feeling empty and void, you signed to your servants who worked in a brisk efficiency they were used to and they started preparing you for your most important test yet.

First, you bathed in the cold waters from the melted ice of the northern icelands, which were enchanted with spells of strength of body and clarity of mind.

Then, you were clothed in robes of black, woven with enchantment of warmth and coolness, for you would need both in battle.

After clothing you, your servants braided your hair in signature war braids of Angband.

Only then did your servants start fastening your black armor, which was forged by Sauron as a gift for his favorite disciple of out of the best metals ever seen.

And at last, you took your crown of black diamond thorns and blazing ruby jewels, which was the gift of your father on the eve of your first battle.

You looked at the mirror and in place of the unremarkable high school student you once were, you saw a weapon of war ready to wreak havoc upon all those who dared to oppose Father.

You were ready.

[thebitchkingofangmar]

so the Silmarillion says the sea still carries the echo of the music of Iluvatar and the Ainur, and all I can think about now is Mairon/Sauron watching the gigantic waves during the fall of Númenor unable to hear anything else around him but the sea singing: It is as it should be, Maia of Aulë over and over again. A chorus with no trace of Melkor’s songs.

Not “Sauron”, not “Lieutenant of Morgoth”, no mention of Melkor. Maia of Aulë. What he was in the beginning. What gives him structure and creation and mastery over his own hard work. It would deal him incommensurable manage, it deals ME incommensurable damage as I think about it, to watch all that hubris, displayed with such love for the work well done, sink with the statues built on blood of his Lord Melkor.

No wonder he laughs at the face of God. I am unwell about this

[ofmiceandwomen]

Tagged by @cadmusfly. Of course you can tag me. I welcome any distraction these days because I’m fed up with my work)

Last song: Liar (The Arcadian Wild)

All have been led astray. We’ve all fallen short in some way. Please understand I’m ashamed. and I beg of you, please find your grace.

‘Cause I’m not in a right state of mind. I just wish I had strength to admit it.

My stubbornness will put up a fight, but I don’t deserve to win it.

I’m left in the dark pondering my mistakes, but in the light I swear I will deny it all.

Currently watching:

The last thing I watched was probably Hazbin Hotel. It was an insane ride and I really enjoyed it!

Three ships:

Okay. It’s hard to pick three because I have so many

Russingon (the Silm) - because that’s the one I’m willing to die for

Admiral Nelson/Captain Hardy (dead problematic Brits edition) - my new discovery and I’m all here for it and maybe I will go to hell for all the historical rpf but whatever! Don’t tell me there is a heterosexual explanation for “Kiss me Hardy!”

The last one goes to Lord Asriel Belacqua x Major John Parry from His Dark Materials and it’s an absolute rare pair

My favourite colours:

Burgundy, red, dark blue, dark green

First ship:

I believe it was actually Morgoth/Sauron or Glorthelion? (The Silm has been with me for 13 years now)

Currently consuming:

I just had chicken wrap with herbs and vegetables in the museum bistro

Last movie seen:

I believe it was The Night House (2020). It was pretty fucked up but I enjoyed the plot and the twists. Didn’t manage to get me scared though.

Relationship status:

I have been in a happy relationship for 6 years and it means everything to me.

Currently working on:

My goddamn thesis in order to get this bloody degree. I hate it, because I’m not much of a writer. I’m out of the words and out of energy.

Thank you!

This was fun.

Now, the dreaded part: tagging!

I tag @thisisnoplaceofhonour @the-symphony-of-lydia-brown @lymira @mersilisk @im-not-a-ghost-i-swear @isa-ko

And of course anyone who wants to do this!

[nerdanel-the-wise-istarnie]

SILMARILLION ON CRACK XD

I CANNOT BE TRUSTED WITH THESE POLLS

[fatcatlittlebox]

How stunning is Halbrand’s clothing in Lindon? In particular his necklace is very eye-catching. Bearing in mind that costume designers usually choose something impactful and imbued with meaning for their characters when dressing the actors, especially items around the face, Halbrand’s necklace in the recent past had already served a major plot point. Also, as we all know, jewelry historically held great power and meaning for Sauron.

First off, previously he wore the pouch as part of his mortal disguise. It was a role he was playing. Is this new necklace symbolic of a different role? A different phase? The silver band he’s wearing now is a torc. Single, solid except for the wide breach in the middle. Here, it almost has the appearance of a broken collar and in fact if he wore it backwards it would be called a “collar” necklace. I find that very, very moving considering later he confesses to Galadriel that he feels free from the clenching grasp of Morgoth from around his neck.

His torc also resembles an incomplete ring. So it also has some possible symbolism there for his burgeoning plans and his proposal to Galadriel to form a complete and binding partnership.

Lastly, the torc. Where did he get it? Better question, from whom? Traditionally, in old European tradition, a torc is a sign of high rank and status. It was also worn by the gods. Notably, the wearer could not obtain it on their own; the torc had to be bequeathed, won in battle or given as a gift. So ruling out the other 2 options, who gave him this gift? Who else would seek to legitimize and solidify his claim to the throne? Who else would see him battle tested and worthy? I have ideas..

*Speaking of the gods, who else was known for wearing torcs? The Celtic mythical figure, Elatha, who like Annatar, was described as being fair of face and the beautiful prince of darkness. You know what else he was famous for? Seducing, falling in love and bearing a child with Eriu, the Celtic goddess. She had been of the line of Tuatha De Danann, the angel-like race who had rivaled his. Mortal enemies since creation but coming together.. on the. Sea. She was also married to another of the Tuatha De Danann. 😳.