#to see sauron thrown out of dol guldur? TO SEE THE WHITE COUNCIL!???

[tathrin]

📽 action!: rank all six of the films (or three if you're a hater)

Answers for this LotR ask-game.

Ahh okay so at this point I have to confess something terrible: I still have not seen the third Hobbit movie. I'm sorry! I just couldn't do it. The fuckery of it all, especially in the second movie with Mirkwood and Thranduil and Legolas ("a lowly Silvan elf" what the FUCK what the fuck PJ WHAT THE FUCK), was just too much for me. Character-assassination is one thing, and I thought after Denethor I knew what I was going to be getting with Thranduil but NOPE! It was literal world building assassination and I just CANNOT.

Don't get me wrong, Lee Pace did an amazing job and actually seeing Mirkwood was amazing and it was genuinely delightful to see Orlando put those ears on again; but the OuTrAgE that filled my heart at the yeet-ing of what minimal canon we even have for the Mirkwood elves was just intolerable, and while I did mean to go see it, really I did, I just...couldn't actually get the motivation to go before it was out of theatres. I've heard the EE are better (less studio fuckery) so I'll watch them someday! Honest! I just...haven't. yet.

And as to the Lord of the Rings trilogy...man, I don't even know how to do this. In terms of which is the best film, or in terms of which one I enjoy watching most, or in terms of which on hits me in the heart hardest or...? I don't know if I can objectively rank my feelings about these movies even in my own brain because RotK ends with Into the West and I have FeelingsTM about the Undying Lands and Sea Longing okay. So the last scene of RotK at the Grey Havens is a fucking spear through the heart every time and I can't even describe the knot of feelings it engenders, and I think overall TTT may be my favorite but also it has Plot Issues that piss me off even more than the Plot Issues in RotK I think,...yeah, we're going to do this in terms of Film Crafting rather than personal favorites because I'm having too many feelings lmao. So! In order of most-well-done-movie to least:

Fellowship of the Ring

The Two Towers

Return Of The King

The Desolation of Smaug

An Unexpected Journey

[themirkwoodking]

ABOUT

BASICS

NAME: Thranduil

ALIAS: Elvenking

SEX: male

GENDER: non-binary

AGE: specifics unknown // born around the middle of the First Age, nearer the end

DOB: specifics unknown // born around the middle of the First Age, nearer the end

PLACE OF BIRTH: Doriath

FAMILY

MOTHER: unknown

FATHER: Oropher

BROTHER(S): N/A

SISTER(S): N/A

CHILDREN: Legolas

PHYSICAL

FACE CLAIM: Lee Pace

HAIR COLOUR: golden white

EYE COLOUR: blue

HEIGHT: 6'8"

WEIGHT: 200 LBS

TATTOOS: N/A

SCARS: there is a deep and haunting gouge on the left side of his face from a bout with a dragon. This hidden scarring has rendered him blind in his left eye, though he brings no attention to the disability.

BIOGRAPHY

Thranduil was born near the middle of the First Age to Oropher. By the end of this Age, Thranduil and his father traveled eastward and to Greenwood where Oropher was taken by the Silvan elves as their lord and thus began his reign over the Woodland Realm. As a young prince, Thranduil followed his father into war where he not only suffered a near fatal blow to the face, but he was forced to watch his father perish as well. Though the haunting scar would never heal, nor would he regain sight in his left eye, it could at least be covered by a little magic. Once the war had ended, Thranduil led the remaining elves to the Woodland Realm where the Silvan elves there crowned him as King. 

During a short lived peace, Thranduil met his wife and she bore him a son. A beautiful and perfect heir: Legolas. Of course, peace can only last so long —- seemingly as quickly as she appeared in his life, Thranduil's wife was taken from him. In order to keep himself from grieving too much, Thranduil locked the memory of her away, and instead focused on what needed to be done. It's important to note, however, that the Elvenking had a statue erected at the mouth of Greenwood (not yet Mirkwood) in her honour. It acted as both a pleasant welcome and a watchful eye.

As time continued forward, the Elvenking watched the once beautiful and vibrant Greenwood transform into something hideous; monstrous. The only thing Great about it now was the dangers inside. Slowly, his home, thanks to the evils of Sauron, had earned the name 'Mirkwood.' Despite the dangers of the forest, Thranduil was still compassionate to an extent toward his friends in Laketown, and even welcomed their passage through Mirkwood when needed or desired.

Those the Elvenking didn't welcome easily were the dwarves attempting to find their way to Erebor. Thranduil was aware of the company's travels and would have paid them no mind if they hadn't entered Mirkwood without permission. The dwarves were captured, and only when Thorin Oakenshield refused to share his plan, they were thrown in the dungeons. Although they were prisoners, the dwarves were given food and drink as though they were guests.

After the dwarves escaped the elven dungeons, and Mirkwood altogether, they made their way to Erebor where they woke the dragon, springing Thranduil into action. His goal was to lead his army to the mountain, but upon seeing the destruction that was brought to Laketown by Smaug, he offered aide to the men now of Dale instead.

Although he wasn't the Master nor was he a king to the people of Dale, Bard was held in high regard by the Elvenking for being the one to slay the dragon. As such, Bard was the one Thranduil spoke with regarding his plan to travel forward to Erebor. Wanting to avoid war at any cost, Bard pleaded with the Elvenking; he wanted to speak with Thorin first.

The dwarves of Erebor refused to have dealings with Bard, but before the next morning when they would attack, the hobbit, Bilbo, rushed to Thranduil and Bard with an offer: he would give them the Arkenstone as long as they used it to try and sway the maddened dwarf.

Instead of a peaceful deal, a great war broke out. A war that started with elves, men, and dwarves but quickly changed to a war of elves, men, and dwarves against orcs and goblins.

By the end of it, Thorin had perished as King under the Mountain and his cousin Dáin Ironfoot was crowned as the new King. At Thorin's funeral, Thranduil took Orcrist, the sword that Thorin carried into Mirkwood before, and placed it upon his tomb. The treasures of the mountain were divided between men and elves, and Thranduil parted from them to go back to Mirkwood, now as an ally and friend to the dwarves of Erebor.

Many years pass before Legolas leaves Mirkwood; it's only when Lord Elrond holds a council to discuss the Ring of Power that his father sends him off to join.

After an attack on Mirkwood by Dol Guldur forces, Thranduil retreated north to allow Celeborn to claim southern Mirkwood as East Lórien. By this time, the whole of Mirkwood had been restored and renamed Eryn Lasgalen.

Going into the Fourth Age, Thranduil decided not to sail to the Undying Lands and instead, holds his throne and title as King of the Woodland Realm. The time of elves may be over, and he's well aware that a new evil will arise with the time of men, but he'll be there to offer aide when needed.

PERSONALITY

As a young prince, Thranduil had a keen passion for travel. If he didn't have such an important role to play as his father's heir, he would have been a vagabond. Thranduil was also one for getting himself into innocent trouble; a mischievous little elf. At one point in time, Thranduil had quite the sense of humour and was rarely seen without a smile.

After the death of his father, the wanderlust he once felt had to be put aside completely. No more day dreaming about adventures, and instead, Thranduil needed to focus on his new people. Upon meeting his wife and having a son, a spark of that old mischief returned; the two could be caught playing innocent pranks on one another. Happy together, they were rarely seen in bad spirits.

Once she perished, Thranduil did his best to hold onto that spark in order to care for his son to the best of his ability. Pushing the death of his wife to the back of his mind, the Elvenking managed not to fall prey to the grief that threatened to take hold.

Presently, Thranduil is living in his restored kingdom, Eryn Lasgalen, once Mirkwood, in the Fourth Age. Though grief does play at the back of his mind when he looks to the south, knowing evil will rise again, the King allows his curiosity of the future drive him rather than his fear.