#Maiar of Mandos

[annatars-nine-rings]

Art Commissions of my Tolkien OC's Manó and Aratacáno, Maiar of Námo and the Blue Istari done for me by the wonderful: @liusia-piu

[blue-istari-stars-of-the-south]

Tûl Harar WIP: Arrival of the Blue Istari

Just a WIP I am working on involving Manó and Aratacáno, and a few of my other OC's. Princess Fisrah of Tûl Harad, a city in Far Harad, helps her father in the welcoming of two strangers.

From high atop her throne that sat just to the left of her father’s even more grandiose one, Princess Fisrah watched the two men approach. They seemed to be a duo of peasant merchants, with their plain clothing and walking sticks, and the princess sniffed at them in contempt. The princess placed her decorated hands demurely in her lap as she only half-listened to the proceedings. Rings and gems glittered and made a gentle tinkling sound as she made the slightest movement. Sumptuous silk made a soft hissing with the adjusting of an arm or the crossing of a leg. A long, dark braid decorated with expensive baubles sat over a slender shoulder.

Normally, it was her brother Hadhokor who would take part in these sorts of things, him being the first born male by their father. But he was away now, fighting in some skirmish. But her father had seen fit to have Fisrah sit in Hadhokor’s place, telling the princess to take leave of her ladies and their gossiping.

“Strangers from the North,” she heard her father, the Lord Azhab, say with a sneer and a wave of a hand. “Why should I welcome you? Do you wish to bring the Elvish war upon us all? Don’t think that we are deaf to the rumors here in my court. There may be a huge distance between our lands, but word travels fast, especially in the caravans. My people have no need for more wars or for shedding blood. They’ve seen enough of that already.”

One of the two “merchants” stepped forward, the taller of the pair, a reddish tint coloring the silvery locks (his looks almost attractive, even, in Fisrah’s opinion), and he spoke, bowing politely to those assembled:

”You couldn’t be farther from the truth, your eminence. We are but humble tradesmen, my friend and I. We wish no trouble on your citizenry”

Fisrah took note of how her father analyzed the man’s words, his eyes cold and shrewd, sitting forward in his chair and rubbing his bearded chin in thought:

“I see. But how do in know that you’re just not trying to trick me with your silver tongue? And your silent friend. What has he to say about all of this? Or have you instead come to my city to kill me and steal my authority?”

The other man’s head popped up then, and Fisrah could almost believe that she saw a flash of anger there on the ageless Elven features. Though the two seemed to be old men clutching tightly to walking sticks, there was something to them that she could not name. She had never seen one of the Elven folk before, only heard the tales, but Fisrah supposed that this is what they must look like.

Who are these men who claim themselves mere merchants?

”Shall I have my guards search you and throw you into the dungeons to let your flesh be torn apart by my tigers for speaking such treasons?”

Flinching at the image conjured up in her mind, Fisrah idly pushed it from her head. She had better things to consider, places to be, other than such horrid and unnecessarily bloody events. How she detested talk like that!

Tension hung in the air then, staring daggers, neither saying anything to the other. 

It was then, that the princess shifted in her seat, moving gracefully to whisper in her father’s ear in a sweetened tone:

”Father, these men are tired, having clearly traveled from afar. Perhaps we might offer some food and shelter? It is obvious they mean no harm.”

Letting out a huff, the Lord Azhab finally sat back, his arms across his chest. It seemed to her that he did take heed of her words, thinking them over before giving his reply to the two men.

”I’ve heard quite enough from you.” Lord Azhab spat, “Not enough from your friend however. I shall like to hear what he has to say as well. I command it.”

Giving another small bow, the man moved aside, giving room to the other stranger. The princess saw how the silent one slowly hobbled forward, his gaze stern and unyielding as that of his fellow merchant (if that was what they truly were). It was like staring straight into the gaze of the Great Judge himself, having one’s very soul on display.

The princess could not suppress the shiver that slid up the length of her spine, swallowing hard. It was far from a cold day, and yet it felt like an icy wind blew right through the room. 

A group of armed soldiers stepped up, hands on their swords and ready to defend their lord. As if mesmerized, Lord Azhab waved them to step back.

What threat is an old and feeble man, in anycase?

Opening his hands in a friendly gesture, the silent one did finally speak:

”My good and mighty Lord of Tûl Harar, we two are bringers of peace. That is all. We bring no weapons or any enemies trailing behind after us. Nor do we have any dubious connections with the Northern forces from Gondor or otherwise. Let us go free, and we will trouble you no more.”

The man’s words took hold of them then, grabbing their attention and not letting go. Even Fisrah tried to fight it, but in the end had to relent to whatever spell was woven by this strange man who wasn’t just a man. And suddenly, the pair became tall and majestic as any king surrounded by subjects, ready to put out a hand and speak an order to them. 

“You…what power do you have that gives you the right to speak to me like that??” Azhab said, standing from his seat, hands clenched at his sides. 

A hush filled the room, as there was no response. Fisrah brought a hand to her mouth, letting out a soft gasp.

Yes, that was what they were. Spies. They obviously wanted to steal the wealth from her father and cast them out onto the street.

“Spies, then. That is what you are. Spies, and snoops.”

Turning, the lord quietly spoke to a man to stood off to the side, head lowered in respect. When Azhab turned back, he sneered:

“We will show you how we deal with spies, in Tûl Harar.”

[neldeathstar]

Jealousy on Almaren II, page 3

Someone's not amused… What do you think- does Melkor have a reason to be jealous?

[sesamenom]

random emo band being invited to formal dinner at the tirion palace because they're the crown prince's son's favorite band

[ainurweek]

Announcing the prompts for Ainur Week 2024 (September 1 to 9)!

We have two sets of prompts this year: daily character prompts, and general prompts that don't apply to a particular day. You can mix and match the prompts, or focus on one set if you prefer!

Thank you @cilil for the suggestion of creating general prompts! 💜

Any questions? Feel free to send an ask!

[animatorweirdo]

Imagine being a former spirit of Manwe and then becoming a spirit of Mandos

You were a former spirit of Manwe, who became trapped in the form of a raven by Melkor. You then find yourself in service of Mandos and find new life within his halls.

Requested by Anon

Hello!👋 I would like to request a Namo(Mandos) x Maiar reader who once served Manwe until her sudden marriage arranged by Eru himself. She helps her husband with the souls, elven and men, by guiding them to their different resting places. She and Mandos didn't want to get married, but with a lot of convincing from Manwe and Varda they both gave in. (please continue I don't know what else to add🥲)

A little angsty, but fluff pls🥺

(she is like a wind spirit helping Manwe with the winds)

(I don't know what I am thinking/requesting🥲, you can ignore this request👍)

(Author's note: I struggled to come up with ideas for this as I didn't know how reader would end up from making winds to suddenly guide the dead, so I changed it just a bit to fit the original theme and make it work. I hope you're fine with that. Also--- when it comes to characters who are canonically married to someone known. My brain always goes *why not both?*. It might have also become more platonic than romantic. My head lost ideas on that part. Sorry if that was not what you completely wanted but it was the best I could come up with. )

Warnings: Melkor, torture, death, you being corrupted, living and surviving alone, angst, guiding dead spirits, reunion, becoming Mandos's maiar, angst to fluff, and a good ending.

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

- You used to be one of Manwe’s wind spirits, taking care of the natural flow of the wind around the world. You were happy with your position as your lord was kind and compassionate toward you and your friends. But then, one day, you and your friends were taken against your will by his less kind brother, Melkor. 

- You and your friends' forms were that of small birds and you had never been part of battles like Thorondor and his eagles, so you were powerless against the fallen valar as he subjected you to his cruel tortures and experiments — trying to discover the secret of your wings that allowed you to fly. 

- You managed to escape by turning yourself into the wind, making him unable to grab you. However, as a mere wisp of wind, you could not help your friends as he twisted their bodies and very souls. It was terrible. You only left when your last remaining friend pleaded for you to escape. However, Melkor did not allow you to leave unscathed. 

- As he was greater in power, he cursed and tainted your body with his darkness. The foul airs forced you to return to your bird form and be twisted into that of a raven, causing you pain and being cut off from your connection with the wind. He laughed in mockery as he allowed you to flee, calling out how you will never be accepted again by Manwe and the other valar for your new corrupted form. 

- After you escaped his domain, you wandered and grieved for many years for the cruel fate of your friends and your new life.  You did not want to believe the fallen valar’s words, but since you could no longer feel the connection you once had with Manwe’s domain, you feared he was right. You were completely cut off, trapped in a form forced upon you by him. Everything felt wrong and you were completely alone. 

- Ravens already had a poor reputation for being associated with death and darkness. They were seen as ill omens thus the Valars might cast you out than let you step into their lands again. 

- After some years, you learned to survive as a raven. You missed your home and Manwe, but due to your corrupt form, you learned to accept you will never see them again.

- When the first children of Eru awakened, you tried to watch out for them as they lived in darkened lands, meaning they were easy targets to Melkor and his creatures. You couldn't do much as Melkor’s servants were too powerful and the elves began to see you as a spy as you were always there when a servant of Melkor arrived — even though you tried to warn them whenever they were near. 

- However, you then found out something strange. When you found body of a dead elf, you were able to see their disembodied soul and being able to speak with them. It was strange as you were not able to speak with them when they were alive. You have heard some maiars can develop different abilities if they were associated with a certain thing for long periods of time — in your case— death. 

- You knew what would happen to the souls lost in the dark, so you took it upon yourself to guide them toward the direction of the halls of Mandos. 

- It was not easy but when you succeeded in bringing the soul to safety, you decided to help as many souls as you could, saving them from the cruel grips of Melkor’s darkness. It was the first time you felt grateful for your new body as it allowed you to see through the dark and fly unnoticed by Melkor’s servants. 

- You did it for many years. Mandos eventually took notice whenever a new soul came to his halls and spoke about a raven. He would bring it up to the other Valars who would become intrigued by this strange raven.

- When Orome finally located the elves — he also found you. He immediately knew you were a maiar trapped in a singular form. He spoke how your efforts have been noticed by the Valar and expressed his sympathy when you told him you were one of many who Melkor had taken against their will and twisted beyond recognition. He then said you were welcome to enter Aman and asked you to return with him. 

- You felt fearful of the offer as you still saw yourself tainted and did not know how Manwe would react seeing you again. However, through assurance from Orome, you accepted his offer and returned to Aman with him. 

- Manwe was shocked when he recognized you. He then grieved when you told him what Melkor did to you and your friends, and that you had wandered alone in the darkened lands for many years. He said he would not have turned you away if you had come to him. He knew Melkor took many of his maiars, and none ever returned from his cruelty, so seeing one of his maiars return brought relief.

- You felt small joy by his statement. However, the damage Melkor had done to you had already been done. You could no longer create winds or change shape thus there was no way you could serve him again. 

- Mandos then suggested that you could come to serve in his halls instead since you had become more associated with the realm of the dead and spirits. Melkor’s darkness and evil prevented many souls from returning to his halls. You had already guided many souls back to the light and were capable of retrieving them from the darkness unnoticed. 

- You accepted the proposition. If it meant you would have a home again and help those Melkor had wronged, then you would do it. 

- As now a servant of Mandos, you diligently traveled in the darkness, guiding the lost souls back to their rightful resting places. Mandos was grateful for your efforts and through time you learned new abilities and had become a spirit associated with the dead. Melkor could not see you as your black feathers blended you with the dark and neither could he sense you as you moved between the realms of life and death, making his efforts to trap the souls of the lost futile. 

- It was nearly ironic how his own curse had turned against him. 

- Eventually, you became strong enough to overcome Melkor’s curse and regain your ability to change shape. Your form and powers had significantly changed as you were now a maiar of Mandos, but you no longer found anything wrong with your new form. You had even grown to prefer to stay in your raven form. It was small and quick. 

- You had also grown fond of your new valar. Mandos was not the most expressive of the Valars, preferring to watch from the side in silence, but he was kind to you and his other maiars. His wife, Vaire, was also very kind to you. She was easy to talk to and often asked stories about the souls and their tales so she could weave them. In her mind, no story was not worth being weaved. 

- The two valars were perhaps considered an odd pair by the outsiders, but to you, they seemed perfect for each other. Unintentionally, you had become quite involved with their lives. 

- Mandos often allowed you to rest near him and you two would enjoy the peaceful silence inside the halls.

-Vaire would sometimes ask for small requests from you which you were happy to fulfill. 

- You would sometimes end up getting pulled into some small drama when it came to Irmo or the other valars getting bored. 

- Sometimes Mandos and Vaire would invite you for small leisure time, which would include enjoying the peacefulness. 

- In your small free time, you would end up either playing or riding on Gorgumoth in your raven form. 

- You were content with your life. You did not know if your experience was part of Eru’s plan but your past no longer bothered you. You were happy to serve your two favorite Valars. 

[silmarillion-ways-to-die]

"What wouldst thou have more? Dost thou desire all the world for thy belly? I did not vow to give thee that. I am its Lord." – Morgoth, The Silmarillion

"Tears unnumbered ye shall shed; and the Valar will fence Valinor against you, and shut you out, so that not even the echo of your lamentation shall pass over the mountains." – Mandos, The Silmarillion

"Their swords and their counsels shall have two edges." – Melian, The Silmarillion

"Love not too well the work of thy hands and the devices of thy heart; and remember that the true hope of the Noldor lieth in the West, and cometh from the Sea." – Ulmo (through Tuor), The Silmarillion

"That is a small price for so great a treachery. So shall it surely be. Say on!" – Sauron, The Silmarillion

"Many are the strange chances of the world, and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter." – Gandalf, The Silmarillion

"Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." – Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

"So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." – Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring.

"You have grown, Halfling. Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you! Well, I go and I will trouble you no more. But do not expect me to wish you health and long life. You will have neither. But that is not my doing. I merely foretell." – Saruman, The Return of the King

"Behold! The shadow of my thought shall lie upon them wherever they go, and my hate shall pursue them to the ends of the world." – Morgoth, The Children of Hurin

"Fool of a Took! This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking-party. Throw yourself in next time, and then you will be no further nuisance." – Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring

[velvet4510]

Olórin served Nienna, Manwë, Varda, and Irmo.

Curumo served Aulë.

Aiwendil served Yavanna.

Alatar served Oromë.

Tolkien never mentioned Pallando’s master/mistress.

[valardynasty]

Nienna and the Fëanturi

"Mon interprétation de la fratrie des Fëanturi Námo et Irmò, et leur sœur Nienna."

Námo plus connu sous le nom de Mandos, grand juge et gardien des morts. Irmò plus connu sous le nom de Lòrien, dieu des rêves et des visions et Nienna, celle qui pleure, déesse de la compassion.

[eri-pl]

So, the two nasty Valar from the Book of Lost Tales: Makar, whose name is derived from "mactha-" (to slay), and his sister (why not wife) Meásse, the red handed, and even her name may mean "red handed".

I'm not suggesting anything, but if I were Manwë, I would not visit then ever (he doesn't), and if I were those two, I would be watching the nearby forest, just in case.

[annatars-nine-rings]

Gosh I miss my Maiar of Mandos bois so much 😭 . I want to write them so badly now

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

For your request event ~ how about this soft prompt

❛ you got me flowers? ❜

With Námo x Reader? They're super surprised that the Doomsman got them flowers and honestly he's so awkward and kinda a mess because he's not very good with emotions<3

“The bouquet” 

Pairing: Námo x fem. reader (Maia / Second Person POV)

Themes: Soft 

Warnings: None 

Summary: The Doomsman brings a gift for you.

Word count: 700 words

Want to be tagged? Want to know the rules? Read all here.

The world was all gold when Námo wandered outside his halls. The new light, the golden one, fashioned to bring light and warmth, hung high in the sky. He blinked and looked away. Námo was not used to the light. He had spent far too much time in the halls and had grown far too used to the soothing light of the stars and the Two Trees. This new light, the one that brought morning, would take a lot of getting used to.

He wandered still, taking in the world around him. So much had changed after the chaos that followed the destruction of the Two Trees. There were Maiar everywhere, armed and armored. Oromë's hounds and his aided them. The fact that such measures were needed was tragic. They were the Ainur. No one should have been able to attack them where they were the strongest, yet it still happened. Ungoliant should have been dealt with ages ago before she grew powerful, but Manwë chose mercy. He did not just show mercy to her; he showed mercy to his brother as well. The result of that mercy was the destruction of the Two Trees and the first kinslaying.

Námo shook his head. Now was not the time for dark thoughts and apportioning blame. The day was too beautiful for that. He was meeting you after a long while. His duties kept him away, and he looked forward to seeing you again. That was not all. He wanted to give you something but had no idea what it should be. Námo could deliberate on the fate awaiting fëar in moments and pronounce the doom of others in the blink of an eye. But when it came to this, a gift worthy of you, he was at a loss.

Námo looked around, hoping something would inspire him. He did not stop until he came across a meadow. The air was sweet with the scent of wildflowers and roses and daisies. He remembered the talk amongst the Valier, how they loved receiving flowers at surprising moments. They considered such gestures sweet and thoughtful. Perhaps you might consider such a gesture touching as well. Námo debated his choices and made one.

You had been seated under the shade of an old oak tree, reading, when he found you. Námo hesitated. He was sure he had chosen wrong. Perhaps you will not like his gift and reject it. Maybe you would be disappointed, but try not to show it. Perhaps...

"My love?" You had seen him looking this way and that, as if dithering. His hand was behind his back. He was hiding something from you. "My love, is everything all right?"

Námo flushed, his pale cheeks turning a deep crimson. It was another aspect of his personality that stunned him. He was the Doomsman, the Judge, and here he was, flustered like an elfling caught with their hand in the sweet jar.

"I..." He inched his way toward you. His tongue had tied itself into knots, and he felt butterflies in the pit of his stomach. "I... I..."

"Goodness." Your book was all but forgotten. You rose, your instincts on high alarm. Had something terrible struck? "My love, what is wrong? Did something happen?"

Námo shook his head, his throat dry. His fana trembled from both anticipation and fear. That shocked him—that he could be fearful.

"Nothing is wrong, my love." Mustering what courage he had left, Námo held out the hand he kept behind his back. "For you."

"Oh." Your hands flew to your mouth, your lips curling into a delighted smile. In his hand was a bouquet of roses, wildflowers, and daisies, all mixed with sweet-smelling wild herbs. Their scent was a delight, and your countenance just softened. "You got me flowers?"

When you reached out and took the blooms out of his hand, Námo let out a sigh of relief he did not realize he was holding in. He looked on anxiously when you brought it closer and took a deep, satisfying whiff. Everything hinged on what you said next.

"These are so beautiful," you murmured. Námo's gift was sincere, and you were deeply touched. You never expected him to think of a gesture like this. He was always formal and proper, and this was a beautiful surprise. "Thank you."

A smile of joy and satisfaction lit up Námo's face.

Tags: @cilil @asianbutnotjapanese @fictionfordays @floraroselaughter

[novemberthecatadmirer]

Imagine what it was like for Námo and his Maiar when first kinslaying happened.

The Trees were dead and everything was crazy and no Ainu knew if they could find new light sources.

The elves belIeved the world to be stable, but Ainur knew better. They made the world and they knew the world could be broken, easily. Now the light was gone and Melkor was loose and there was a Void creature out there

People were worried and scared and a lot of Ainur were having war flashbacks. (They were the only ones that battled Melkor with his full power.)

People were checking the tapestries hoping to find more information but Melkor had ways to hide himself and Ungoliant just could not be shown on tapestry.

Then they felt elves dying and the elves were in pain and so much fear. They thought it was something Melkor did of course he would do that, set up something to kill the Children just for fun

They called for the elves and found out apparently now the Children are killing each other

And some of the spirits refused to leave (and some of them chased after the fleeing Noldor for their ships) so they had to retrieve them and they saw the bodies

When Ainur got killed or hurt it was always different. Sometimes they just unraveled into thoughts. On that day they saw blood drying on the port and intestines spreading out on the sand and dead body floating in water

Osse and Uinen already lost it and were out there sinking Noldor along with their stolen ships. Other Ainur did not know if they should intervene or not (Osse was bad enough but You just do not mess with an angry Uinen

Then Noldor came to the Halls and Teleri started fighting them and it was absolutely chaotic

Both Noldor and Teleri were yelling at Námo and his Maiar

Also lady Miriel was crying her eyes out and the Ainur did not know what to say to comfort her (They liked her a lot!)

Of course Námo would be mad and very terrifying when he informed Noldor of that Doom.

[cilil]

Navëquen

“ You may lie about the past, yet the truth always remains like a shadow upon your fëa ”

Some of you may have already read about Navëquen, a Maia of Námo tasked with upholding law, order and justice, on @edensrose's wonderful Ainur blogs.

After many of you gave positive feedback in regards to OC content on my blog, I decided to compose an info doc to formally introduce Navëquen to you. I hope you'll enjoy learning more about him!

◇ info doc

◇ Navë art by @ela-draws

◇ twin fates, a lovely fic written by @edensrose, featuring Navëquen and his counterpart Vanimóre

◇ a fun little interaction between the two on Vanimóre's blog

◇ a wip of a lovely artwork featuring them by @edensrose

◇ masterlist

[helreginn]

The day had started the same as many before it. Quiet and cold; Peaceful solitude before the rest of her household woke. Hel had come to perch on the balcony to the west of her keep. The sky was awash in vivid sunrise hues. Nothing was out of the ordinary except for the flittering of small wings. She squinted her eyes in the low-light of dawn, searching for the source of the sound.

Finally her eyes settled on a small brown and ivory bird. And soon thereafter a less small raven haired woman. Melian. Hel knew her immediately, even in the near dark.

“What are you doing here at this hour?” Hel called down loudly. Before she even heard an answer Hel turned on her heel and started for the door.

@pxnxply @thegreatstrongbow

[adoseoftrees]

Maiar of Mandos frequently sneaked out to hang out in the gardens of lorien

Namo pretended he did not see it as long as the works are done in time (He sometimes did that with his wife too)

The less healthy coping method was to go out and stare into the dark encircling sea, throw pebbles into water and disassociate in Ainur style mental breakdown

There’s an unofficial petrol along the shore to make sure nobody get any funny ideas

(Random former Melkor’s Maia: I think I want to walk into that sea to see how deep and how far I can go before getting shredded, just for science)

(Maiar dragging them to Lorien: You spent too much time looking at the tapestries and how about you change into a goldfish and abide in some nice warm pond for an age or two we’ll feed you salmon)