#3. kinslaying

[mossy-thing]

I watched the Czech Silmarillion musical, and I LOVED IT!! Here's some of my favourite bits (though not all, this thing has a lot of gems, please check it out.)

Also, I decided to start posting my art on this account, rather than only on @evil-crayon , since this way, more of my mutuals actually see it.I'll make that same announcement over there too and then repost my old art from there here.

[sakasakiii]

Dude I'm literally obsessed with your art, it's AMAZING. Also, thank you for making those family trees?! They're amazing and really help me with recalling who is who and related to who, lmao. You're literally the best, bless.

acckkkkk thank you nonnie!!!!! thats so kind of you to say! im especially thankful you like those family trees...... warning for incoming yap session! i pinned it on my blog bc i thought itd be helpful for ppl unfamiliar with my designs of who's-who, but looking back on it now ALMOST THREE YEARS LATER?!?!?!?!!???? there's so many things with it that i wish i could change! im really honoured that youve been finding it helpful with recalling who's related to who, but now i tend to feel guilty abt possibly feeding ppl the wrong information about tolkien's lore aaahahaha (seeing as some of the family relations there e.g. rumil being miriels dad, glorfindel being elenwe's brother, mags n his wife having two kids, are my own headcanon OTL)

nonetheless, its really really high praise to hear that and im very grateful you took the time to send in such a lovely ask, anon! ❤️ hearing all this talk of trees and whatnot made me think back to a tolkien untangled video i was watching where he basically said along the lines of 'most of the iconic elven genealogy in middle earth can be traced down to starting with finwe and elwe' which really shook my worldview HAHA... so in the spirit of continuing silly ask doodles, here's two bros doing some gardening together :D

thank you so much again for such kind words, and i hope you have a wonderful rest of your week!! and a very happy and belated new year's to everyone reading this! ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ

[jubilantjubi]

Thinking about how in a Lord of the Rings mod for Crusader Kings 3 you can play as Maglor (of Silmarillion fame) and you have the option to give him a redemption arc, at the end of which Ulmo gives him his Silmaril back so the oath can be fulfilled and he can go home. Of all places to find what is basically a Maglor Redemption fic. A Crusader Kings 3 mod. Just thinkin’ about it.

[andreawritesit]

I would like to wish Aemond Targaryen a very happy "FUCK YOU"

[southfarthing]

hes a kinslayer, valient and nobel he may be but he has doomed himself through his own choices and nothing but suffering was ever going to wait for him and them all screaming crying throwing up

eru forbid guys misinterpret social situations and have a weird time at the beach.........

[theworldisquietheretooquiet]

Hi! I don't know which characters you like to write so here's a few options for the Silm Prompts: Nerdanel & Indis (or just one of them) + forsaking the past Tuor/Voronwe + seeking the unknown Beren/Luthien (or just one of them) + joyful labours any character(s) + Havens of Sirion + unlearn in bitterness

Thank you!!

I decided to do the last two :)

I headcanon that Amras (& Amrod) were killed by the rebelling Feanorians at the 3rd kinslaying so wanted to explore that!

The first is 559 words. The second is 731, and cw - kinslayingesque violence, mention of beheading

Beren/Luthien + joyful labours

The mewling cry of an infant cuts through the peaceful quiet of Tol Galen. Beren groans and flops face down onto his pillow, pressing it around his ears.

It is the third time this night Dior has awoken. And the moon has not even reached its full height. He groans once more and then a third time. For dramatic effect.

His Tinúviel laughs, warm in her exasperation. “I know,” she says sympathetically. Then she picks up her pillow and whacks him with no little force on the back of his legs.

“I went last time, so, hmm whose go is it now? Let me think… Ah yes! It is the turn of Beren Erchamion, Beren Camlost, the son of Barahir, the hunter of Carcharoth, Bëor’s heir –” Lúthien punctuates each title with a thwack of her pillow.

“Ok, ok!” He laughs despite himself, and pushes up from the bed, edging away from his wife and her merciless use of cushions.

He walks out the room shaking his head in fond annoyance as Lúthien makes a great show of curling snugly up under the covers.

“You won’t be so smug when you have to hear my attempts at a lullaby!” He calls over his shoulder. There is, predictably, no answer.

Beren enters his son’s room and makes his way over to Dior’s cradle. His usually adorable face is red and scrunched up in miniscule rage, and his tiny mouth is open in an indignant cry.

Beren smiles as he reaches down and picks him up, moving the mobile out of the way as he does. It is an exceedingly beautiful one, made up of intricately carved nightingales. It had arrived the day of Dior’s birth, before they had even sent word to Menegroth. That and the fact he swears he hears the birds singing whenever he looks away, makes him suspect the Queen of Doriath may have had a hand in this gift.

Beren begins to pace the length of the room, gently rocking Dior, and humming to him a little.

“I know, I know, my voice isn’t a patch on your mother’s.” He murmurs. “But we Edain can’t rely on magic songs all the time, dearest. We had to come up with actual techniques for calming upset babes.”

His son shows what he thinks of the talents of the Secondborn by beginning to howl louder. Beren sighs and after a moment of thought, begins to make his way outside. The night is warm, and this way Lúthien may be able to get a little rest. The stars seem to shine brighter here than anywhere else he has ever known, and he is pleased to see his son calm a little in their silver glow.

Of course, the child of Lúthien Tinúviel is never quiet for long and soon enough he begins to cry again. Beren groans and sets off, walking around and around the courtyard.

He is so tired he could sleep standing up and he lets out a gigantic yawn. He startles as an answering little giggle rings through the night air and looks down in amazement to see that Dior is no longer wailing, but instead emitting joyful hiccupping laughs.

The sound is so infectious Beren begins to chuckle himself. It is an exhausted and slightly hysterical laugh, but it is also so, so full of love.  

any character(s) + Havens of Sirion + unlearn in bitterness

Gweririen looks at Lord Amras.

She had looked at him first as a child, when he and some of his brothers had been leading an archery class in Formenos.

Celegorm and Amrod had clearly not wished to be there. She remembers how flustered their cutting criticism and laughs had made her as she fumbled with the bow and arrow. But Amras had bent down beside her and spoken softly.

“Pay no heed to them. Why, I remember Prince Turcafinwë once missing a shot on a hunt because of a sneeze!”

She had laughed shyly and allowed him to demonstrate the correct way to hold the bow and aim. She had gotten her first bullseye that day.

Gweririen had looked at him in Alqualondë as she plunged her sword into the Teleri woman’s back. He’d been disarmed and knocked down, his attacker approaching, fishing spear raised. Amras’ eyes were wide in shock and thanks as he got to his feet, grasping her arm in gratitude.

“I am in your debt. Come, I believe the victory is nearly ours and I want you by my side on the first boat across the Sea.”

She had followed him back into the fray and to this day, no matter how hard she tries, she cannot remember if she had glanced at the splayed, silver haired corpse even once.

She had looked at him in dulled surprise when he made his way to her, amidst the chaos and carnage of that terrible battle. She had been sitting for how long she did not know in the mud and filth, cradling her son’s body.

He had kneeled there with her, in the churned earth, and slowly peeled her bloodstained hands away from where she clutched her son’s shoulders.

“Gweririen, I am sorry. I am so very sorry. But we must go now. The field is lost, perhaps we are all lost. I do not know.” He had looked at her and his eyes had been so dark. She had barely been able to discern the echo of Tree light. “We are retreating, my brothers and I. Come, let us flee.”

Gweririen had looked at him as they had sat around a fire, camped a little way from Menegroth’s eastern border. Amras’ hair had glowed dark red in the light, and she had gazed at him long before speaking.

“My Lord, I council you again to reconsider this assault. Yes, Thingol’s folk and the boy king have no right to the jewel, and they have aided us so little in our war. But if we follow through with this cowardly attack, creeping into their home in the dark and cold? I fear your House will be forever sundered from all the Eldar. Surely that can only harm our aims, in this Valar-forsaken land?”

He was silent for so long; she had been sure she would receive no response. But then –

“Pass me my sword, Gweririen, if you please. I believe it must be sharpened.”

She had looked at him only once before making her way to Lord Maedhros. He had already removed the heads of two of Celegorm’s servants. The third of those who had led Dior’s sons to their deaths, stood upright still, though he stared at the floor.

“My Lord,” she said, and he turned to her, his eyes dull and hollow. “May I do it?”

After a long moment, Maedhros had nodded jerkily, dropped his sword, and walked away. Amras had not looked at her after and she’d been glad.

Gweririen looks at Lord Amras.

The crashing waves can barely be heard over the clash of steel and the screams. She is so very tired of hearing Elven screams.

“Gweririen, I want you to search every house for Elwing’s sons. No matter which way this battle goes, they will be invaluable in our aim.”

She looks at him. This is not a battle; the woman whose blood is dripping off his sword had attempted to defend her house with a lantern. They do not have an aim; they are here to feed their oath with a little more slaughter so it will give them peace for perhaps five years or even ten.

As he turns away from her to deliver more orders, she reaches for her bow. As she notches the arrow and aims at Amras’ chest, her shot is exactly as he taught her.

[caelmewedd]

@kinslaying-archetype continued from X

Aevon smiled at Aemond, perfectly understanding that everyone sometimes needs a moment alone. It was nice to have friends and be with them but sometimes everyone needed a respite from the crowd. Of course she wanted to accompany him wherever they wandered, but the sky was slowly darkening from heavy clouds from which rain would soon pour, so she didn't plan to walk outside for too long.

"I will be happy to accompany you. Oh and no 'madame' thank you very much. I'm seven years old and call me by my first name." Aevon replied, then got up from her seat and gently took him by the arm. She was of the opinion that he should not walk alone in this forest for too long because if a storm came along with the downpour, something could happen to him. "Let's go then, there is a nice lake here not far away. Do you want to see it? And by the way we will look for my…friend who likes to run away. I hope we can make it before the storm."

So together they set off through the woods towards the lake. Aevon looked around while looking for her 'runaway friend' who, although she was her great delight and pride, liked to get into trouble. So far she saw no sign of her, so she turned her attention to Aemond, who seemed to be relaxing and enjoying the walk.

"Tell me, Aemond, do you have many friends where you live?" Aevon asked curiously, already suspecting what the answer would be. According to her, Aemond looked to her like a very lonely boy who hides a lot of suffering.

[eri-pl]

Thank you for the @ !

I made the joke because @dfwbwfbbwfbwf devised a Quenya name for the Nauglamir and it sounded very much like Castamere. I didn't watch GoT (even with the book I managed to read just one tome, got squicked), but I love this song. It's so emotionally intense.

Ooooh, how beautifully she sings! <3

A Parody of Rains of Castamere

Inspired (many months ago) by this post

Lyrics:

“And who are you,” King Dior said, “That I must yield this jewel?”

“Only a son of Fëanor; you take me for a fool!

My father’s blood and mother’s song threw Morgoth from his throne

Now their prize has passed to me. I claim it for my own!”

So he spoke, and so he spoke, that king of Menegroth.

So brought ruin to his halls. He called upon our Oath.

And so brought ruin to his halls entangled in our Oath.

[maedhrosmaglorweek]

Maedhros and Maglor Week will run February 16-22, 2025! Time to get inspired!

Fanworks can respond to one or more prompts or be anything you like, as long as there's a focus on Maedhros and Maglor!

Text version below:

Prompts

Day 1: Children

Valinor

Innocence

Elrond and Elros

Child OCs

Seeing Gil-Estel

Day 2: Kings

Mithrim

Maedhros’ abdication

Leadership

Power dynamics

Day 3: Captives

Thangorodrim

The Oath and the Doom

The ship-burning

Angst

Day 4: Strategists

The Union of Maedhros

Mereth Aderthad

The Leaguer

Ruthlessness

Day 5: Artists

Skill

The Noldolantë

Quenya

Songs of Power

AUs

Day 6: Kinslayers

Pride

Cruelty

The Kinslayings

Reputation and legend

Darkfic

Day 7: Partners

Intimacy and entanglement

"Alone against all the world”

Last choices

(Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash, edit by the wonderful @aquaregiaart!)

[sakasakiii]

when i first designed erestor 3 years back i wasnt totally aware of his potential half-elf status, and since then ive come across some more fanon interpretations of him being haleth and caranthir's kid which i really liked!!!! so ive decided to rework him a little by combining my original lore for him into this concept 👉👈 i ended up getting carried away on whole different tangent with his backstory which ive summarised down below HAHA

tldr to expand on some key points under the cut:

born in F.A. 371 to haleth and caranthir; his parents' romance is short but passionate, and while many of the haladin are initially unsure about the nature of this union, they dont oppose it. for 4 years they live an unconventional but happy life together

haleth leaves thargelion in F.A. 375 and raises erestor with her people once they resettle. he's too young to remember much about caranthir. throughout his childhood she never tells him who his father is, but he also never really feels the need to ask.

he's captured in F.A. 460 (40 years after his mother's death) and escapes in F.A. 510. two years later, he finally finds refuge in Amon Ereb-- six years after the deaths of caranthir, celegorm and curufin in the 2nd kinslaying.

is tasked by maedhros to assist maglor with elrond and elros' education after they're taken in following the 3rd kinslaying in F.A. 538. he becomes a weird mix of a nanny/older brother/teacher figure to them, and a strange but sweet bond forms between them.

entrusted to protect elrond and elros following the break out of the war of wrath. he leads them to the Host of the Valar, where the twins are given the choice of the half-elven; to his surprise, he's afforded this choice as well, and decides to remain elven out of compassion for elrond after elros chooses mortality.

remains by elrond's side to watch over him for most of the 2nd age. during this time he resides in lindon as a healer, translator and archivist; later joins elrond in imladris, and partakes in the war of the last alliance as a combat medic.

in the 3rd age, is beset with sea-longing after what he regards to be a long and tiresome existence; he's also filled with guilt for being unable to help elrond heal celebrian’s psychological wounds, and contemplates following her back to Valinor. ultimately decides to stay back a bit longer, however, and lingers until after sauron’s defeat when the rest of the elves finally depart for the West. 

that's just a very condensed version but one day i hope to explore in some 4th age stuff where he finds out who his dad is...?! or will he?!?! who knows lol

[sesamenom-sideblog]

oh no someone must have introduced them to caranthir

I TOLD YOU GUYS NOT TO LET THEM SCHEME

[melestasflight]

Arafinwëan Reading List

compiled by Melesta, in no particular order, for @arafinwean-week. Why not find someone new to read?

Wanderlust by @cuarthol The finrodest Finrod. Finrod the explorer, the one who seeks and finds beauty in all things. Fenomenal worldbuilding.

Finrod: 30-Day Character Study also by @cuarthol An in-depth exploration of Finrod’s character, canon analysis, headcanons, beautiful written and visual creations to inspire.

Many a Dreadful Path, part of the Atandil series by @eilinelsghost Beren comes to Nargothrond in hope and grief, and stirs Finrod’s oath to wakefulness. The entire Atandil series is a masterpiece, but this segment is fresh in my mind and had me gasping.

keepsake by @welcomingdisaster Another fantastic piece on Finrod and his Bëorians over the generations. A family archeology and a nice dose of heart-wrench. 

The Gift by @fadesintothewest An oldie but goodie, pairing my beloved Finrod with Russingon. Full of magic, songs, eroticism and all that good Finwëan rebelliousness.    

Little Lords of the Brine by @eilinelsghost One more by frankie that’s close to my heart: Finrod and Orodreth reborn, all feelings and a new beginning.

Let Not My Love Be Called Idolatry by @sallysavestheday In a Dark Wood Wandering by @elentarial Speaking of Orodreth, I have been thoroughly sold on the appeal of the Orodreth/Túrin ship, particularly by these two stories.

Across So Wide a Sea by @emyn-arnens Half-way through this Galadriel epistolary piece and loving it so much already. Digging into the little-explored “what after Beleriand.” 

Scion of— by @gwaedhannen A short thing that, nevertheless, bites. On Galadriel and the newest High King of the Noldor.

Tapestry of Years by @niennawept The Patience of the Oak by @imakemywings I have a weak spot for all things Galadriel/Melian and these two pieces tick every box about this ship.

Snakes and Ladders by @polutrope A Valinor smut burlesque featuring the Arafiinwëans and their respective Fëanorian lovers. Young Artanis under polu's pen is quite something, trust me.   

empty spaces by @queerofthedagger An angst fest of the highest quality, starting with papa Finarfin and going down the line. This one has me in a chokehold.

in the hills of dorthonion by @emyn-arnens More by Arveldis because they are my go-to Aegnor/Andreth writer. Stories full of feelings, of gorgeous nature, of all the bittersweetness that keeps this pairing so close to my heart.

Fire Dance by justonelastdance Aegnor/Fingon, tethering on that sweet border between friendship and romance, is a pairing that I have been stuck on for ages and justonelastdance finally made my dreams come through.

Sundering by @zealouswerewolfcollector Fingon faces the Arafiinwëans in the aftermath of his participation in the kinslaying at Alqualondë. I’ve read this 3 times, at least.  

Song of Sirion by @welcomingdisaster I learned to love Finduilas with this fic. Featuring long journeys, battles, dogs and her emerging friendship with Edrahil. 

one whole with my other by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor Indis rules, endures, lives, until one by one, her beloved people return to her from the Halls. And yes, she is on this list, because without the matriarch there would be no Arafinwëan anything. 

The Forest House by @balrogballs Every Blessed Mark by @searchingforserendipity25 Two gorgeous Celrond pieces, my comfort pairing, featuring love, scars and the complexity of all things endurance over the ages.

Some of my own attempts to tackle the Arafiinwëans:

Voices That Were Once Ours Finrod and Maglor rebuild a friendship and compose the Noldolantë. 

crowned with the Sun Celeborn expects his first meeting with the golden Noldo princess to be a tense diplomatic ordeal. He’s quickly proven wrong.

as a naked flame and The Golden Poppies of Dorthonion Aegnor and Andreth, Edain lore and foresight.

Stay, Forever and filled with wonder and delight Celebrían and Elrond, falling in love, staying in love.

Scion of Kings  Finduilas and Orodreth at the doorstep of Nargothrond’s fall.

seducing the Edain Finrod, Aegnor and Fingon at Barad Eithel, co-written with @polutrope

This list is most definitely incomplete -- I pulled only what was in my recent-ish bookmarks. Always looking for more recs.

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Has Galadriel already touched the darkness?

Yes. When? In this scene:

And she’ll have to deal with the consequences of it in Season 3.

Until this point she didn’t touch the darkness. Her being proud, rebellious or killing Orcs isn’t “touching the darkness”. From that point of view, every Elf was dark, which isn't the case. She's royalty, she's a princess, and behaves as such: of course she's arrogant, and proud, and thinks she's always right and can do whatever she wants. That's not being "dark". She enjoys power, and for others to bow down to her will, that's the reason why Sauron's temptation was to make her queen, because that's what she truly wants. And that D, but that's a question for another time.

The "darkness" in Tolkien lore is absolute corruption, and perversion of purpose and of Eru’s creation. It’s what Morgoth did to Mairon, and to every other Maia who became a servant of his.

We see the effects of darkness in both Mairon and Adar. Adar tell us a bit about this process, in 2x01: 

In the eldest of the Elder Days. Thirteen of us were chosen to be blessed of Morgoth's hand, with the promise of power. A new birth. I was led up to a dark and nameless peak. Chained and left. And after what seemed endless thirst and hunger...

And this is why Sauron cries in this scene: he’s recalling the “lovely time” he had being blessed by Morgoth’s hand.

Mairon being the worst case, here: he was a Maia of Aulë, as everyone must be aware by now. He fell prey to Morgoth’s seduction of promises of power, and betrayed the Valar, and eventually become Sauron.

How did Mairon became Sauron, you ask? Thousands of years of torture and corruption, where Mairon was broken, ripped apart and reshaped by Morgoth until all of his original Eru ordained purposes were reversed: loyalty became deceit; good became evil; order became control; perfection became domination; loyalty became deceit/treachery; and beauty turned into abomination.

We joked about “evil Barbie” and how Sauron gets more androgenous as he goes deep into evil, but this is also a side-effect of Morgoth’s corruption of him, actually. Because Aulë is suppose to be “macho man” on steroids (hyper masculinity). We see this with the Dwarves (Children of Aulë) too: both men and women are very masculine and have beards, and, according to Tolkien, it’s hard for outsiders to tell them apart.

The Children of Aulë are pretty much what we saw from Halbrand (Repentant Mairon) in Season 1. While Elves are "delicate beauty", these tough mountain dwellers are Dirty Hot beauty. So, I don't understand why so many in the Tolkien fandom expect the Maiar of Aulë to be any different, only more "angelic" looking.

OG Mairon would have looked something like this, but angelic instead of human:

Look at this freaking Dwarvish-inspired necklace! This is peak Mairon, the Maia of Aulë.

So, another one of the side effects of Morgoth’s corruption was the “feminization” of Mairon, and he'll get more androgynous as he goes deeper into evil. Meaning, Morgoth corrupted his hyper-masculinity, which raises some... strange questions.

So, yes, Halbrand/Mairon/Sauron is absolutely correct when he asks Galadriel “what do you know of darkness?” Because she’s acts like she does, but doesn’t. At all.

“Touching the darkness” is what happened to the Sons of Fëanor, during the quest for the Silmarils, and it involved endless bloodshed, kinslaying, etc. And at the end, Maglor and Maedhros were so corrupted by darkness they couldn’t even hold the jewels on their hands, anymore. Galadriel knows nothing of this, because she never done things like this.

[echo-bleu]

Noldor Hair Headcanons (3/4)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | On AO3

Some lighter Kidnap Fam content, after the downhill freefall that was the last chapter. With a dash of Finrod in Valinor.

Elrond and Elros have never had their hair braided when they end up with Maedhros and Maglor.

They don’t realize what they’re asking when Elros grabs a hairbrush and puts it in Maglor’s hand.

Maglor understands that, but decides that the twins need parental care, even though he has no right. He brushes their hair and leaves it loose at first.

But the twins have watched Maglor braid Maedhros’s hair and they soon start asking for more interesting hairstyles.

Eventually Maglor explains to them that it can only be done by family.

The twins have a whole silent conversation.

“What does it take to be family?” Elros asks eventually.

Well, braiding an unrelated child’s hair is pretty close to informal adoption.

Elros forces the brush into Maglor’s hand again.

Maglor stares.

Elrond shakes his head and runs out.

Of course, Elrond must hate them. He has every right. Sure, Elros has started to warm up to them, but that’s just because he’s affection-starved, probably. They’re still kidnappers.

Maglor is about to put down the brush and try to refuse when Elrond comes back.

He’s holding a second hairbrush.

He hands it to Maedhros expectantly.

Maedhros cries.

Maglor cries.

The twins’ hair really doesn’t hold braids very well, and they’re still kids who run around and play, but damn them if Maglor and Maedhros aren’t going to do their best.

Now all of their people can see that the twins are well-loved.

Maedhros and Maglor also proudly sport a few clumsy, wonky braids each.

They’re less wonky with time, and eventually the twins are doing their fathers’ (kidnappers’) hair as often as not.

Finrod is reembodied shortly before Eärendil and Elwing gets to Valinor. It’s too early and he’s Not Doing Well. While in Middle Earth, he was the one who let basically every one of his friends braid his hair, now he can’t stand the thought of someone touching him that way.

But Beleriandic battle braids feel wrong in Tirion. And he’s desperately trying to reckon with his trauma, with Sauron defeating him by singing about the kinslaying, so he can’t leave his hair loose like the Teleri.

And he can’t quite get the sight of Edrahil’s bloody braids spat out by a werewolf out of his head.

He wears nothing but the very strange-looking (to Amanyar) Mourning Braids he designed after Dagor Bragollach for a couple of years.

Then after an episode of really bad depression and nearly fading, he cuts his hair short.

No-braiding-possible kind of short.

While not unheard of in Beleriand (sometimes former thralls keep their hair very short, like Rog), it’s unthinkable in Valinor, especially for the Crown Prince of the Noldor.

He is stared at a lot, his reputation goes down the drain, but to Finrod it’s liberating.

He does let his hair grow out again eventually, but only when other Exiles start coming back and choose to keep the Beleriandic braid styles, and it becomes a fashion statement rather than a mark of shame.

Finarfin is Very Shocked arriving in Beleriand when he finds his (single remaining) child with her hair loose and everyone else with weird self-braided battle hairstyles.

After a battle or three where he ends up with his hair matted with blood and mud, he caves and gets Galadriel to give him battle braids.

By the end of the war he’s even learned to do them himself! Let it not be said that King Arafinwë Ñoldóran didn’t rise to his calling.

The night before sending the Elrond and Elros to Gil-galad, Maedhros and Maglor undo all of their braids. Everyone cries.

Maedhros and Maglor meant this to minimize the ‘taint’ their names would put on the twins, by making it look like they were still hostages to the end, but the twins stop on the way to do each other’s hair because one does not meet a king with their hair loose, they have manners (which the Fëanorians taught them, so they’re Very Specific Manners), so the effect is lost. Gil-galad has Questions. The twins refuse to lie.

Then, before going to steal the Silmarils, Maedhros and Maglor do each other’s hair, in a style of their father’s that they haven’t worn since the Oath.

Maglor braids a single golden ribbon into Maedhros’s hair.

They have very few pieces of hair jewellery left of their brothers’, but they use all of them.

They both know it’s the last time.

To be continued

I did some sketches for visual reference of a few of the hairstyles mentioned here, if you want to see what I'm imagining!

[victorie552]

Ok, so Noldolantë, "The Fall of the Noldor" is a lament composed by Maglor about what happened before, during and after First Kinslaying at Alqualondë. It's such a good song that it's played regularly in Aman and Valar listen to it often (I swear, I swear it was in the Silmarillion I just can't find it now).

It's also a more or less common fanon that Maglor continues writing Noldolante through the whole First Age. Makes sense - it's about fall of the Noldor, and Noldor did a lot of falling back then.

Headcannon time: So my first thought was that Noldolante must a long, long, long epic of a song. So it probably has many parts, right? Iliad has 24 books/parts, somehow I think Noldolante would be at least just as long, and there are longer epics. And again, just like Iliad, unless you're a scholar, in the daily life you don't really listen to/read the whole thing, just reread and repeat the most dramatic fragments. What I'm trying to impress upon you all is that the story would have different segments, or chapters, if you will.

And if Maglor continues to write the story during the FA, there would absolutely be a moment in the lament where the OG Noldolante becomes Noldolante 2, and even Noldolante 3. There may be the same musical motif or something, I decided that Maglor IS that good of a bard to keep it all consistent enough so you know it's all the same story, but the style changes a lot - it's been 400 years in the making, let The Music Elf have fun!

So, Point 1: Many, Many Parts, basically Maglor's FA WIP

My second thought was that, while Feanor invented his alphabet, elves learned their history mostly through oral tradition aka songs and spoken stories. Noldolante is definitely a historical record, where a historical event was archived for future generations.

(It was a also a way to deal with grief, guilt and blame Maglor and all Noldor have faced regarding First Kinslaying - free therapy! But that's not what this post is about)

Archived.

My 2.5 thought was that Noldolante isn't just recallings of how pretty and horrified the beach looked during the murdering or how mad and sorrowful the sea was at everyone during the voyage or even how awesome and charismatic Feanor looked during his speeches that every single Noldo was ready to fight Morgoth barehanded in his name - no, this is a record of who killed who, who got killed by whom, and how.

Noldor and Teleri knew each other (were friends, even!) before the First Kinslaying, so I'm confident that after a lot of interviews, detective work, and cross-referencing, Maglor could and would create a very good... name list. Practically every Noldo and Teler present during First Kinslaying would get a stanza in a song, more if he killed someone, most if he killed many people. Killers and killed would show up twice, first in a fragment listing the killers and their victims, then in a part listing the victims and their murderers. Basically it's the same thing twice, but from different POVs. With when, where and how included.

(It was seen to be in bad taste to compare kills during Maglor's Regency, when most of his interview-part work happened. People did it anyway. There were a Saddest Kill, Funniest Kill, and Weirdest Kill discusions. There was a Tier List. These were weird times to be a Feanorian Noldo.)

(It WAS in Bad Taste, but at least people talked about it. I cannot stress enough how much free therapy this lament provided)

(Little did they know, when Teleri started getting reembodied in Aman, they had very similar discussions, but more in a "I can't believe he killed me like THAT" way. Long, long, long after the First Age. Noldolante is a gift that keeps giving)

So, Maglor had all the historical grith and no common shame to create a "We Killed All These People And We Feel Bad About It" banger of a song, and every Noldo had a very personal reason to at least remember the fragments they are in. It's a hit on a scale never seen before.

(I'm not sure how to tackle the issue of Nolofinweans and Arafinweans learning about Noldolante after crossing the Ice. But there were discussions. There was anger, there was "????", there was controversy. Basically, the song got bigger and bigger rep no matter what your opinion on it was. By the time of Mereth Aderthad it was an important cultural and political piece and at least Fingon's forces were included in the main song. It had parodies.)

Point 2: Archive Function/Kill count storage. Cultural phenomen, every Noldo included

This is where my personal nonsense begins: Main Noldolante was done, there was nothing more to say about First Kinslaying, all killings and deaths were well documented.

But the Siege started. And the Noldor kept dying.

It was less dramatic than it sounded - between the big battles the siege was maintained, but orc raids also happened and sometimes one to few Noldor died in skirmishes. The legal procedure was to document the death of a fellow elf and send a word to king Fingolfin. The cultural procedure, technically started by Feranorians but adapted by many more, was to send the name, common characteristics and cause of death to Maglor's Gap. After few months, King Fingolfin would send reinforcements, short condolences and financial compensation if they had family. After few months, family of an elf would also receive a personal lament for them and a place for them in a Noldolante.

Yes, every lament Maglor created in that time was technically part of the Noldolante. Noldolante 1.5, if you will. Laments make in that time were very customized, and simpler than Noldolante Main, but were still considered a part of the same song. Of course, nobody was expected to know and remember laments for every single Noldo, younger Noldor born in Beleriand could even only know fragments about their family members. Only Maglor would ever know Noldolante in full, but it was understood that everyone had their place in The Song.

The results of Great Battles were harder to document, but Maglor did that. Of course, Dagor Bragollach was hard on him personally, but he worked his way through.

(High King Fingon forbade creating laments for his father. There were no songs for Fingolfin. Apart from in Noldolante, of course. Of course. Maglor did not share the lament with anyone, but he sat long hours and many nights with a blank paper before him, looking at the candle flame and thinking of the past and the future. The song unsung, but there)

Nirnaeth was... Maglor was never more hated and more approached at the same time than then. Still, Noldolante grew and grew, as if people knew the end was near.

It was Second Kinslaying that destroyed the myth of Maglor's song. Feanorians didn't know the Sindar they killed, but surely, they couldn't just left their names unmentioned like they did with orcs? So, Noldor talked, but the battle happened in caves - it wasn't uncommon to find dead bodies in empty rooms, with no witnesses to what happened. Surviving Sindar didn't want to share any names, even when Maglor strong-armed some into talking with him, and good for them. Maglor made a big lament anyway. Maglor, wild, with no shame and dead brothers, with legacy crumbling around him. Noldolante, with holes.

After Third Kinslaying, Noldor didn't want to talk. Lament for Sirion didn't have any names. Clearly, songs weren't a way to go anymore, it was always about live witnesses. And so Maglor raised the twins.

Lament for Maedhros was sung repeatedly. There was no one to hear it.

Point 3: Only Maglor knows Noldolante in full. But that doesn't matter, because everyone knows the important part: the Noldolante is finished. The Star of Hope rises in the West and the story goes on. The Fall has ended.

[pterodactylterrace]

“The Blacks won because it’s Rhaenyra’s bloodline that continues on.”

Ok, first of all, Aegon II made Aegon III his heir. Rhaenyra was dragon chow by then. Rhaenyra wanted the iron throne more than anything else, and she only held power for 6 months before the small folk had enough of her bullshit. Six months. She managed to rule for half a year before she was overthrown, not by a usurper, but by her own people. Clearly, not a good ruler if you can’t even make it a year without getting chased out of your castle.

Second, Rhaenyra’s bloodline managed to fumble the ball two feet from the finish line. It started with Aegon the Unworthy and it ended with the mad king being overthrown just before the long night. Just one more generation was all they needed to last, and they fucked everything up so bad it put the entire world of men at risk. That… that takes skill. You have to actively TRY to fuck up that much.

After the conquest, there was noted to be one “good” king, and that was Jaehaerys. Between conquest and dance, Jaehaerys was noted as being a good, wise king. Aenys managed to have a mob trap his oldest two children in a distant castle right before he died. Then Maegor stepped in. He may have been decent if it weren’t for the brain damage. Most of the things he did before the battle on the hill were either rumors or just not that bad. He was also very against Kinslaying. Imo, one of the worst things he did was punish everyone involved in the Kinslaying in The Eyrie. Seems kind of strange he would dole out such a harsh punishment only to then kill his nephew in a very one sided dragon battle. That was the first thing he did after he woke up, though. Considering he had such a drastic change in personality, we can’t say how his rule would have been otherwise.

After Maegor’s death, Jaehaerys steps in. You know what made him a good, worthy king? Not the fact that he was a male, or could fight, or held the bloodline, or even that he rode the bronze fury. It was because he listened to the council of his queen. Alysanne was the real MVP of his reign. She did more for women’s rights than any other queen. She listened to her people. That is the mark of a good ruler. Walk softly, but carry a big stick. Know when to speak and when to listen.

People who know they have power and control don’t need to constantly remind others. They know. It’s not necessary to maim or murder people for speaking the truth, yet Viserys and Rhaenyra do just that.

When Saera majorly fucked up, they handled it. Not the way Alysanne wanted, by the way. She was sent to apprentice with the Silent Sisters just for sleeping with men while not married. Yet Rhaenyra can have 3 obvious bastards, insult the house with the largest naval force and prove to the entire kingdom that her words mean nothing, and Viserys still declares anyone who calls the strong boys bastards would lose their tongue.

Sorry, what? The Valaryons are one of the richest houses in the realm. They control most of the naval fleet. Maybe don’t make their son a cuckold?

“They had an open marriage!”

NO ONE ELSE KNOWS THAT. To the court and the small folk, Rhaenyra promised to be faithful to Laenor in front of the eyes of the gods, and she very obviously didn’t keep that vow. Why should they trust anything she says as Queen if she can’t even do something as simple as not birthing bastards? That’s what most people don’t realize in the bastard debate.

Whether you can prove it or not, the strong boys don’t look like either of their alleged parents. Like, at all. Even Aegon’s drunk ass could tell shit didn’t add up. Commoners are not going to be any different. They are going to know, and whether they can say it or not, it will still affect how they feel towards her. Can’t keep your marriage vows, why should I believe that you have my best interest at heart?

Because she doesn’t. She is a horrible ruler that lasted less than a year before the small folk rose up and drove her out. She feasted while they starved. It’s that self centered mentality that taints the bloodline and leads to The Unworthy.

Clearly no one learned about not having bastards, and this mofo decided to legitimize them on his death bed. Wasn’t going to be his problem, now was it? He died, someone else has to clean up his mess.

Hmm, not knowing how to clean up your own bastard mess, sounds familiar… oh, like Rhaenyra forcing her father to crawl from his death bed to make sure no one said mean (and true) things about her.

So I’m sorry, what were people saying about her being a good ruler? ‘Cause everywhere I look, I see another reason she should not have ascended the throne.