#sure Frodo survives but he leaves forever

[riverofempathy]

Just had a thought that makes me smile but also makes me sad.

Bilbo was Thorin’s Sam.

Frodo and Sam have that deep, soulful, unbreakable bond that can’t be quantified in a few words. It goes beyond brotherhood and friendship and even romance. They’re soulmates. Period. They love each other, they need each other. When they’re sitting side by side during the eruption of Mount Doom, thinking they’re going to die, and remembering home and grieving what they could have had, they rest their heads together in such a gentle, loving, vulnerable way that just… tells us everything we need to know about their relationship. Without saying anything at all. Because how could you? How could you summarize what they mean to each other?

In one of the final scenes of the Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies, Bilbo says goodbye to the dwarves, and he talks about Thorin, and what he meant to him. He can’t even get the words out. “He was… He was my…” Your what, Bilbo? Friend? Brother? Partner? Family? He doesn’t even have to find the words. They understand. They know he loved Thorin, we know he loved Thorin, more than words could ever describe. And in a way that transcended even Thorin’s kin. When Thorin was mad with dragon sickness (like Frodo was with the corruption of the One Ring), who was the one person that Thorin trusted? Who was the one person he spoke to gently? Who kept him the most grounded?

Bilbo.

Just like Sam did for Frodo.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Character Thoughts - Eärendil

For such a pivotal character in The Silmarillion, we have relatively little to tell us what Eärendil was like as a person, but I’ve developed a fairly extensive set of headcanons around him based on the little that we do have.

I see Eärendil as someone with a deep love of Middle-earth. He’s certainly seen more of it than any of the other Edain. The line from Bilbo’s song, from gnashing of the Narrow Ice where shadow lies on frozen hills, from nether heats and burning wastes..., gets to me. I think he found the Helcaraxë beautiful, shining in the sunlight, to the complete bewilderment of any of the Noldor who crossed it. I think he had the same Númenorean hunger to know more of the world. But he’s not leaving his family/people/etc to go on an adventure; he’s setting off on a desperate mission that he has no real expectation of surviving, because it is the last chance that anyone in Beleriand has; perhaps the last chance for anyone in the world. That very love of Middle-earth and all its variety is what drives him to find a way to save it from being forever under Morgoth’s dominion.

When Elwing comes to him after the destruction of Sirion, the choice they face is not between going to Valinor and going back to rescue their children (the example of Eluréd and Elurín means they have every reason to believe their children would be dead long before they could get back); it’s between a situation where they go back and Morgoth gets around to killing everyone left, and one where there’s still a sliver of hope for saving the remnant that remain. And they don’t seem to have any expectation of personally surviving if they do reach Valinor.

When they arrive in Valinor, and Eärendil pleads with the Valar for the relief of the Noldor and Sindar and Edain that remain, we have every reason (including his use of all four languages - Sindarin, Quenya, Taliska, and the language of the people of Hador) to understand this as a plea for the relief of everyone, including the people who destroyed his home and who he believes have murdered his children. That’s not easy, that’s the hardest thing imaginable, but it is at the heart of his mission - he is interceding for mercy by showing mercy. And the Valar grant his plea.

And in doing this, he has given up everything, everything but Elwing; he has let go of his children, of his home, and he can now never return to Middle-earth. He feels called to the fate of Men; he is “weary of the world”. He is ready to go.

And Elwing chooses to stay. We are told this is “because of Lúthien”, which can be read in many ways. Because she feels more drawn to her mother’s people than her grandfather’s? As a balancing of the scales to counter Lúthien taking on mortality? Because she wishes she had the chance to know her grandmother, and has been surrounded from childhood by Doriathrim who miss her and mourn her, and does not wish to give them someone else to mourn; because she does not want her children to have to mourn her (the Valar have surely told Eärendil and Elwing that their children are alive by this point)? Because she knows that her mother and brothers may one day return from the Halls, and they have lost enough and do not need to lose another loved one? To me the latter reasons are the likeliest, the knowledge of everyone who misses Lúthien and desire not to be separated from what remains (or may return) of her family and people.

And for love of her, Eärendil stays. And I think the transformation of Vingilot is done in part for his sake, that he may still see the lands of Middle-earth that he loves. But he can no longer be part of them, only see from a distance. He is scarcely part of the world any more. And as the years and centuries and millennia pass, his connection to anything and anyone - save Elwing - fades. I see it as much the same as what happens to Frodo, the growing sense of detachment from the people and places he loves. I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, to lose them, so that others may keep them. So it is with Eärendil and the world.

And then, Ages later, another exile returns. I see the exile of Eärendil and the exile of Maglor and as strange mirrors and opposites of each other, the one blessed and longing to return home to Middle-earth, the other accursed and longing to return to Valinor. I think Maglor must have travelled far along the seacost and seen many things in his seven thousand years, even if trying to avoid others; he could not have remained unnoticed for so long if he had remained in Eriador. He has had, in misery, what Eärendil hungers for: a life amid the diversity and strangeness of Middle-earth. And Eärendil has, Eärendil has always had and always offered, what Maglor wants: forgiveness, forgiveness that Maglor was offered because of Eärendil’s plea, and turned away from. I think there could be a meeting there, an understanding of each other that no one else could offer them, and that could be healing for them both.

[extremelyblackandwhite]

a new beginning - 01

Pairing: LOTR! James “Bucky” Barnes x Reader

Warnings: so far go right ahead, no danger.

A/N: i should just stop watching things that give me fanfic ideas.

Main Masterlist

Fear and disillusion always creep in the Middle Earth and peace never last forever. The age of peace within kids would end up with the uproar against the united kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. Whoever, war pays a difficult price and those to pay it had been the King, the Queen and their descendants who died protecting the very thing they fought years ago to bring back. The Middle Earths were now a remnant of what it was when the ring was destroyed. The only surviving realms where some relative calmness existed were those of the Hobbits in the Shire, the Humans in Rohan, the Dwarfs and some remaining elfs. All behind that was said to be lost lands and places where no man could ever survive without losing his sanity.

   - However ... - the young princess said making all the children gasp in suspense which caused her to smirk as her eyes went back to the red leathered book in her hands. - It is said that Aragorn’s line survived the war and his heir will lead the age of darkness away and install new peace into the Middle Earth.

  - Princess Y/N, do you believe it to be so? - one of the lord’s daughters said, her voice insecure and looking around. Y/N smiled sweetly at the child, closing the book. - Do you believe peace will return?

  - It’s all about hope, milady. - she replied which clearly light up a a conversation between every child in the room who seemed to be excited over the return of an heir. 

  - You’re an excellent story teller, my daughter. - Faramir walked into the library along with his wife and the princess’ mother, Éowyn. 

During the beginning of her childhood, Y/N had been called Lady Y/N of Rohan, never the princess she was now called. That had come to be after her uncle and king Éomer passed on while fighting for the freedom of some of Gondor’s people after the rebels and orcs took over. After that, her mother and father had been proclaimed Queen and King of 

They were smiling at her and the children, who quickly thanked the princess and ran out to plan on the gardens as the weather had been rather sympathetic since no rain was falling down on Rohan. - I’m starting to think you believe these tales. 

  - You know my beliefs, father. - Y/N replied to him, walking over to the white shelf that had been a gift from Legolas so she could put all her books full of tales. She was one to stop travellers when they stayed in the castle and ask them about their adventures, their life stories or even tales they’d heard from their families and friends. The young princess was also the owner of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins book who had been offered to her by Sam when she had turned eighteen. It was safe to say she had the best collection of books in all of Middle Earth, even some elven books. - You once believed it could be better.

  - You concern yourself to much with things you shouldn’t concern yourself with. - Éowyn cupped her daughter’s face, pushing the locks that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear. - You have other things to concern yourself with.

  - Like coming to see your favourite dwarf instead of leaving him to see your father’s face. - Gimli pushed Faramir aside to look at the girl he hadn’t seen in a year. Both him, Legolas and the Hobbits from the Shire had became rather close to each other and would usually come over to see her parents which lead to them getting closer to the princess. - And to think I rode all the way here to celebrate your birthday. 

 - I apologise. - she smiled, lowering down to his height to give him a hug.

 - You should apologise to me, I had to ride with him. - Legolas made himself known, smiling at the young princess. - You sure grow into your mother’s beauty every day.

 - She sure does. - Faramir commented. - Starting to become rather hard to make sure no man tries and steal her away.

 - Father. - she rolled her eyes. 

 - So, Faramir, where’s that nice room I was promised? - the dwarf turned to the King who laughed whole heartily and along with his wife started to walk into the main bedrooms which were below the library and other activity rooms. Y/N and Legolas remained in the room and silenced was settled as she stared at him.

 - I know what you want, princess. - he said, crossing his arms. - Do you wish my death by the hands of your mother so deeply?

 - You promised. - she said, mimicking his position with her arms crossed too and an eyebrow cocked. - You said “once you turn twenty I’ll teach you”. Well, I’m turning twenty tomorrow so you have to. You promised and elves don’t break promises, you said it yourself. 

  - Why should you learn archery? You’re a skilled sword fighter, you don’t require archery. 

  - Consider that my enemy is rather far. I could protect myself better if I could shoot an arrow onto him. Or do you expect me to send my sword flying?

  - Who taught you to argument like that? - he chuckled.

  - You did. - the young princess pointed at him. - C’mon, it’s better if you do it now then tomorrow where everyone’s gonna be looking for me?

  - Fine. Lead the way, milady. - he said as she ran out of the library and down the stairs of the palace onto the hill filled garden where she would go whenever she felt trapped. It was also one of the only places she could escape her mother and father’s eagle eyes and where she had learned to sword fight by the hand of Legolas and watching some of the army men practice. It was also a place where she could look outside the border that had been built around Rohan after the King of Gondor fell. She liked to call it her little peak into the world. - Must you always be running?

  - I thought elves were immortal, Legolas. You mean to tell me age is finally catching up to you? - she teased as she reached the top of the hill. - You’re growing old.

  - I don’t grow old, Princess Y/N. - the elf replied back, taking his arrow from his back and handing it to her. - Don’t you dare break it.

  - I’ve never broken anything. - she replied, analysing the mythical, at least to her, weapon in her hand. She raised it up, admiring it. - It’s gorgeous.

  - Yes, it is. Now .... - he pushed her feet apart with his, making her stay shoulder width apart. - Maintain this position always, it’s better for aiming.

She nodded before stopping once she noticed in the horizon something that didn’t use to be there. The outside was a barren land with dead grass and mostly no one and those who came to visit normally held up the banner of Rohan in their hands or horses in order to call attention to have the gates open. Although, someone or something seemed to be laying down on the grass.

The young princess dropped the arrow to the ground and started rushing down the hill to the gates who were opened for her by the guards recognising their princess. Without even looking back she crossed the border of Rohan onto the outside. It didn’t take her long until she found what was different in the horizon,

It was a men covered in blood soaked clothes whose face was unseen by the princess as his face was upon the grass. Legolas had followed right behind her, only thinking about what Faramir and Éowyn would do to if their precious daughter was to suffer any harm. He also wouldn’t wish any harm upon a woman who he saw as family. 

 - Go call for help. Run and don’t look back. - he told her.

[misseffie]

I dunno if you've answered this before (sorry if you have) but what would have been your ideal ending for the show characters? 👀

Thank you so much for this ask. I wanted to answer sooner but it’s a bit overwhelming to think about this in some depth lol.

Dany: This one is the one that I struggle with the most. Because I did want her to have a doomed tragic hero turned villain storyline. But the way it was done sucked. I think a better developed journey to darkness but also Jon doesn’t kill her. She “turns dark” but then something reminds her of her goodness and she makes a heroic sacrifice of some sort - something regarding The Others. Similar to when she walked into the pyre in season 1. She turns to darkness but dies a hero.

Jon: I wish there was a nicer way to say this but I honestly never cared about his character lmao. I find almost every other character on this show more interesting than him, so I never speculated or cared about his ending. So, sure, I guess him going to the wall is fine. It feels very Frodo of him and I feel like it fits him in a way - but ppl who love his character probably don’t agree with me. I feel like I didn’t mind his ending simply because I don’t care about him very much lol.

Sansa: I wanted her to be Queen in the North and I’m happy about it. But I’m pretty upset that we never got to see her actually show her skills as a politician and a leader. All I wanted in season 8 was a final conversation/confrontation between Sansa and Cersei. I feel like we deserved that. Just to have a scene where there’s hatred and history between them but also a weird grudging respect.

Cersei: I love Cersei. And she should’ve gotten another awesome villainous moment. She didn’t deserve to have her final storyline revolve around a pregnancy and pirate fuckboy. She did nothing of interest this season :/ Her death was so lackluster and very pathetic for such an amazing villain. She should’ve died by Jaime’s hands after committing some final atrocity.  

Jaime: His storyline is the same up to episode 4. Except in episode 5 he actually does kill Cersei. OR, I wouldn’t have minded if we saw that he went there with the intention of killing Cersei (we see him draw a knife/sword/whatever) and then once he sees her crying and realizes they’re going to die anyway he decides to comfort her. But the intention should’ve been there.

Brienne: Similar ending, except Jaime only left her to kill Cersei. Also Brienne would be with Sansa in the North - it makes no sense for her to be with Bran.

Pod: He’s sweet. Should stay with Brienne wherever she goes. And since my headcanon is that Brienne is in the North he also goes there. Pod and Sansa develop an adorable crush on each other. He is very sweet and flustered around her.

Tyrion: I thought he would die instead of Varys. And after hearing him prattling on during the council scene I wish he had.

Bran: Master of Whispers in the King’s council. Also should’ve played a bigger part in defeating the Others.

Bronn: Dead. In a ditch. Like 4 seasons ago.

Tormund: I thought he would die this season actually. I like his character, but I feel like him dying during The Battle of Winterfell would’ve raised the stakes.

Yara: Literally have her do anything. That would’ve been nice lol.

Theon: I thought his ending was alright. But that’s probably because he died early enough that they didn’t fuck up his character. I feel like he should’ve been given a chance to recover and make even more of himself after everything he’s been through.

Sandor: Liked his ending. Or rather I liked the conclusion to his storyline with Arya, I never cared about Cleganebowl or whatever. His brother is already a dead zombie, why did Sandor need to kill him? lol

Jorah: His ending was good. No complaints there. I’m a Jorah fan and his ending was fitting and tragic.

Greyworm/Missandei: I always thought one of them would die. But they deserved to get away from Westeros and move on from a life of war, slavery, and pain. That would’ve been nice. In a world where Dany sacrifices herself for the greater good, it would’ve been nice to see these two leaving at the end to find some peace thanks to Dany.

Varys: Should’ve survived because he actually seemed to care about the common people and should’ve been in that council meeting. I think he might’ve suggested Gendry, since he is also lowborn and Varys helped Gendry survive on several occasions (indicating that Gendry was a backup plan for him).

Arya: My ending for Arya is actually not that different. She still leaves for a bit in order to recover from everything, but Gendry comes with her. But she never leaves forever.

Gendry: I had a few endings that I would’ve liked for Gendry.

There’s a tragic AU I envisioned after episode 4 where he is made King and he tries to turn it down but then, due to all the terrible things he’s seen the common people go through (and being convinced by Davos and Varys) he decides to take the throne in the end. In this scenario, we see Arya realize she wants a future with Gendry (thanks to Sandor’s advice) and she wants to convince him to leave with her at first but then once she starts talking to him and realizes what a good King he’ll make she realizes she’s being selfish, and we see her heartbroken (because she wouldn’t want to be a Queen) before she leaves on the ship. This scene would have a lot of intercutting between Gendry’s coronation and Arya boarding her ship and looking to the Red Keep in a dramatic fashion.

The other ending is Gendry is offered the throne but he abdicates.  This leads to the nobles establishing a council. We see him and Arya leaving on the ship. Gendry tells Davos they might return some day and he makes Davos the Lord of Storm’s End - Davos gives Gendry Shireen’s stag sculpture and tells him he is proud of him and they hug tightly. Maybe him and Arya return a few years later to settle down at Storm’s End.

Davos: His story was always linked to the Baratheons. He should’ve stayed by Gendry’s side. Gone back to Storm’s End and reunited with his wife.

[im-tops-bottom]

The final battle raged on at the Black Gate. Orcs by the thousands were fighting against the many people who wished to take them down not realizing that two hobbits had reached their destination.

Aragorn saved Gimli from a few orcs before spotting Legolas who looked like he needed a hand. He listened to his heart when it told him to go help the elf but then a sound echoed behind him.

He turned around and looked up to see a giant beast and prayed that Legolas could defend himself while he took out the big guy. What he didn't realize was that Legolas had already gotten rid of the pile up that had surrounded him and was calling out to Aragorn while said man was thrown to the ground.

Aragorn did his best to defend himself and got in a few slices here and there but the beast was still standing. His eyes widened as it leaned back getting ready to leave a devistating blow. He raised his hands and was about to close his eyes when he felt the ground shake.

He saw the orcs backing off slightly and it gave him enough time to stand and as he did so he watched the building that held the eye of Sauron crumble and fall. He looked around him as he watched the orcs scramble. He thought that they were safe now so he quickly turned to look for Legolas. His eyes had widened some more.

"LEGOLAS!!"

He watched as the confused elf turned to see what was behind him and then a blade stabbed into him. Aragorn ran with all his might ignoring the ground opening up and sending the orcs plummeting to their death. He made it to Legolas and took down the orc before dropping to the ground and holding the elf.

"FRODO! HE DID IT!"

Everyone cheered for Frodo but Aragorn felt he couldn't. Not when he had his dying best friend in his arms. He couldn't celebrate when he knew his world was about to end. Suddenly everything went dark and his body laid right next to Legolas. He didn't see or hear anyone around them shouting and rushing to their side. All he heard before his eyes closed was Legolas saying "I love you Aragorn. Always have, always will."

For what felt like forever Aragorn finally woke. He sat up and groaned as he felt pain on the side of his head.

"woah easy there Stryder"

Aragorn looked up and saw Frodo hop out of his own bed and realized exactly where they were. They had made it and was taken back to Rivendell. They had won and it was all thanks to the Hobbit in front of him. Speaking of people who he really wanted to see.

"where's Legolas?"

Aragorn noticed Frodo looking down as water left the hobbits eyes and he pulled him in for a hug. He knew that the elf surviving was a long shot but deep down he had prayed that the elf would have made it. He felt his own tears drop as he hugged Frodo tighter.

After a few seconds Sam, Merry and Pippin rushed in and joined the hugging pair followed with Gimli and then Gandalf. Aragorn didn't notice a pair of elves standing by the door until the group dispersed. He looked up and nodded at the two.

"Elrond"

Nods again.

"Thranduil"

Elrond was the first to speak. He looks at Aragorn and Frodo.

"how are the two of you? It was quite a battle"

Frodo holds his hand up and Aragorn notices a finger missing.

"well you know, missing fingers didn't stop me from doing what needed to be done. I just felt bad that there was nothing I could do to save Smeagol"

Elrond sat down on Frodos bed next to the Hobbit and patted his back.

"you can't save those who do not wish to be saved"

There was a moment of silence which was cut off by Pippin who walked up to the elf by the door.

"Never met you before. You remind me of Legolas. Hi I'm Pippin"

"Thranduil, king of the Woodland realm"

"ooh a king. There are so many Kings today. We've seen Gondor, it's a mess. Can we come see what your kingdom looks like? Did you bring some of that elf bread with you?"

Everyone groans at what Pippin says which causes the Hobbit to look around.

"what? What did I say?"

Aragorn watches as the amused Thranduil tries his hardest to not show any emotion as he raises a brow at the little Hobbit.

After awhile of everyone talking and catching up, Aragorn gets out of bed and heads out wanting to walk around the garden. He notices footsteps behind him and turns around. He bows as he notices it's Thranduil. He watches the elf stand next to him as they stare out into the garden watching all the little elf kids running around playing with the friendly creatures that roam the area.

"Legolas told me to give this to you"

Aragorn grabs the letter that the king held.

"he's really gone isn't he?"

"he used his last dying breath to sail to Valinor"

"your son was a good person my king. He died fighting and protecting what he believed in"

"I know. He did the elves proud. He did me proud"

"did you tell him that?"

"I told him that his mother wasn't the only one that loved him"

And with that Aragorn watched as Thranduil walked away.

It was 2 days later when the coronation took place and Aragorn was made king. Right after was his marriage to Arwen followed with a celebration.

Halfway during the celebration Aragorn left to his Chambers and sat on a seat next to the window. He took out his pipe and the letter he hadn't opened since receiving it.

"it's about time I open this letter"

He opened it and took a deep breath before reading it.

Dear Aragorn,

If you are reading this letter then that means I'm no longer on this plane of existence and have set sail to Valinor. As my time here has ended I wish to tell you something I could have never told you in person.

My father had given me a quest when I left Mirkwood. He told me to look for a Stryder. A man he knew would make a fine king one day. When I had set out to do it I didn't know what I would expect. It was a long adventure before I reached my destination.

When I first met this stubborn hard headed man I had begun to wonder if this really was the right type of person who would be king one day. Who knew you would prove me wrong. You became my friend, my comrade, a great leader and the best person I could ever think of that would do remarkable things as king.

It was when we were training in Rivendell that things took a different turn for me. I started developing strong emotions I hadn't felt since Tauriel. I couldn't figure these emotions out because they took a new turn. It wasn't until I lost you when I realized what it was that I truly felt. I had fallen in love. It was love that I felt all those years ago in Rivendell. It was love I felt when you came back to us after I thought all hope was lost. It took almost losing you for all the pieces to finally fit together. I put all my trust, faith and love in you hoping you would guide us to victory.

We are heading out for more fights because the war isn't over. Not by a long shot. I still need to find you and apologize for my moments of despair. Then again after what you said, there was a reason I was speaking elvish. I hope no harm is brought to us. Especially you my love.

Well I better finish this letter up. I still got letters to write for everyone else and an apology to a stubborn hard headed man I need to get out.

My father was right by the way. You will make an excellent king. Now go on and give your best. Do it for all those you have lost and all those that are still living.

P.s. if you receive this letter and I'm still alive, make sure the dwarf doesn't see this. I think he was one of the best friends, aside from yourself, an elf could ever have. I will never tell him that and he doesn't need to know. He will become a strong leader one day. Look after him for me will you.

- Legolas

"Oh Legolas Greenleaf you stupid elf. My stupid elf. I love you too. Always have, always will"

I rest my weary eyes as I rest back on the seat.

"I'll promise to keep fighting the good fight. For you and for everyone else my little elf."

My tears finally stop and I drop off to sleep as the celebration still rages on.

[tolkienuntangled]

Fact for Fans #2 - The Tragedy of Lord Elrond

Picture that moment on the shores of the Grey Havens. Picture Frodo, Bilbo, Galadriel, Gandalf, and Elrond standing on that White Ship, and picture them departing Middle Earth in the final minutes of the Third Age. Now I've already done a fun fact about sailing West from the perspective of Bilbo and Galadriel, and I'll certainly write one about Gandalf in the next few days, but today's fun fact is going to focus on Elrond, and I hope to try and untangle what this moment truly means from his perspective.

Now I have to be honest, in my opinion Elrond's character is a little short-changed in Peter Jackson's movies. That's not to say I don't enjoy Hugo Weaving's performance, but I feel that by the power of the butterfly effect, changing Aragorn into a more reluctant king, changed Elrond into a more stern and less sympathetic version of himself. My favourite quotation of Tolkien's, about Elrond, comes from The Hobbit, and it goes: "he was as noble and fair as an elf-lord, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer." Now I'm not sure that Hugo Weaving's Elrond is quite as "kind as summer," in fact I can't think of any Elf in the movies who truly embodies Tolkien's idea of Elven kindness and compassion. They're all a bit too severe.

Anyway the reason I flag this up is because in Tolkien's tales, Elrond is strong, wise, and noble, but he's also warm, and loving, and kind. And these traits lie at the centre of his character. Now the reason that I think Elrond's kindness is so significant, is because it's not something we should automatically take for granted. After all, Elrond's long life is not a particularly happy one. When we think of immortals in Middle Earth we tend to think of timelessness and of preservation, but to an extent, in Elrond's case, he's defined more by the abundance of things that he loses. Yet he's also defined by what he doesn't lose. And he never loses his kindness.

So in order to fully understand this, we're going to have to go back to the very beginning of Elrond's life; right at the end of the First Age. Now Elrond and his twin brother Elros, were born to two very important characters in the Legendarium. And yet neither one of them was a particularly active parent. When Elrond was only two years old, his father Eärendil went off to sea, and Eärendil never saw either of his sons again. Only four years later, when Elrond was six, his home came under attack, and he and his brother were carried off by their attackers. And Elrond's mother Elwing threw herself into the ocean to avoid the same fate. Now technically both Eärendil and Elwing did survive this, Elwing turned into a bird and Eärendil turned into the planet Venus (no joke, things were weird back then), but neither of them ever returned to their children. And for all intents and purposes, Elrond was orphaned when he was only six years old.

Now it wasn't entirely a case of doom and gloom for young Elrond and Elros, as both twins were eventually adopted by the brother of the guys who attacked their home in the first place. But as with many of Elrond's familial relationships, this one didn't last. You see, only forty-nine years later, Elrond's adoptive father, an elf called Maglor, simply disappeared from the annals of history, and his fate remains one of the great mysteries of Tolkien's Legendarium. But we can be sure that he never saw Elrond again. And so for the second time in his relatively short life, Elrond endured the loss of a beloved family member. Which, if you think about it, must be especially traumatic for an immortal!

Anyway, after the loss of Maglor, a new Age began for Elrond. The Second Age. And this was the Age in which Elrond would truly make a name for himself as one of the key players in the fate of Middle Earth. And his twin brother Elros would do the same. But despite the fact that Elrond and Elros came into the world together, they would not leave it together.

So due to a complex web of Elves and Men making babies in Elrond's family tree, both he and Elros were given the choice to either live as Elves, or as Men. Now obviously Elrond chose to be counted as an Elf, and thus he was given an immortal life, but his brother Elros made the opposite choice. He lived as a Man. He lived a (very) long life as a Man, and he ruled as the mightiest King of Men that Arda had ever seen. But he did not live forever. In his five hundredth year of life, Elros gave up the Sceptre of the King, and he allowed himself to die.

Now Elrond certainly isn't the only Elf in the Legendarium to lose a brother. Galadriel loses all three of her brothers in the space of ten years, but they're not gone forever. Usually when an Elf dies, their soul (their fëa) departs to Valinor where it will be held, and judged, and eventually rehoused and set free; to live an afterlife in the Undying Lands. So when Galadriel sails West, she's sailing to be reunited with her brothers. But this isn't the case with Elrond and Elros. Elros chose the fate of Men. His fëa does not depart to Valinor to be rehoused like an elf's, instead it eventually departs Arda entirely. The soul of Elros simply disappears from the world, and his fate is a mystery to all. Such is the Gift of Men. And so even in death, Elrond and Elros will never be reunited. Just like Eärendil, and Maglor, and (possibly) Elwing, and of course Arwen, Elros is lost to Elrond forever.

But Elrond kept on going. He had responsibilities after all, and throughout the Second Age he became a close advisor, and even closer friend, to the Noldor's High King; Gil-galad. In fact throughout all the drama of the forging of the Rings and the first war against Sauron, Elrond became Gil-galad's "vice-regent" in Eriador, the founder of Imladris (Rivendell), and eventually, Gil-galad even bestowed upon Elrond his own Ring of Power - Vilya, the Ring of Air. But once again it did not last. Gil-glad was slain in the War of the Last Alliance, and Elrond was forced to enter the Third Age without him.

However Elrond wasn't entirely alone, and his story is not entirely tragic. You see, in the 109th year of the Third Age, Elrond finally married the love of his life. The Lady Celebrían; the daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn. And Elrond and Celebrían represent one of the happiest Elven unions in the Legendarium. At least for a while. Celebrían inherited from her mother the Elessar, the Elfstone, the same stone that would eventually be given to Aragorn. And this is a beautiful detail, because the original Elessar was first given to Elrond's father by his grandmother, so it's a really lovely family heirloom. And together, in this period of peace, Elrond and Celebrían build a really lovely family.

First Celebrían gave birth to the twin hunters Elladan and Elrohir, and then 111 years later, she gave birth to Elrond's beloved daughter, Arwen Undómiel. And for the next two and a half thousand years, everything was wonderful. Well I mean, the Witch-king did his thing in Angmar, and there was a terrible plague, also Uruk-hai were invented at this time, but in Rivendell, between Elrond and Celebrían, all was good.

Until it wasn't.

So in the year 2509 of the Third Age, tragedy struck Elrond once again. In this year, Celebrían made the journey from her home in Rivendell to her parent's home in Lothlórien, (a journey she'd done many times before), but on this occasion something terrible happened.

Whilst crossing the Misty Mountains, Celebrían was waylaid and captured by orcs of the Redhorn Pass. And Celebrían suffered misery and torture at their hands, which forever changed her. She was tormented and she was poisoned by the orcs, but they did not allow her to die. Instead they kept her prisoner in their dens, and her spirit was broken.

Now from the orcs' perspective this was probably the most foolish thing they could possibly have done, because by torturing Celebrían they'd brought upon themselves the unbridled wrath of not only Elrond, but of his sons Elladan and Elrohir. And so with a magnificent fury, the twins rode up into the mountains, and we can only assume that they would have slaughtered every single orc in that Pass. And when Lord Elrond found his wife, he freed her, and he held her, and he healed her body, but he could not heal her spirit or her mind. The torment was simply too great.

The following year, Celebrían's despair of life had grown so great that she departed Middle Earth, and she sailed away, leaving her husband and her children behind her. And for Celebrían and her daughter Arwen, this would mark the final time they'd ever meet.

So let's fast forward now back to that moment on that ship at the end of the Third Age, where Elrond and the other ring-bearers prepared for their own departure. We know that this was a bittersweet moment for Elrond, after all he was not only leaving his realm of Imladris behind him, but also all three of his children. Even at the very end, Elrond had one more great loss to endure.

So as we all know, Arwen faced the same choice that Elrond and Elros faced all those years ago, and just like Elros, Arwen chose a mortal life. She was blessed with love and happiness, but she was doomed to be parted from her father forever. Just like with Elros, even in death, Elrond would never see his daughter again. Nor would he ever meet his grandson. And this is made even more poignant, because not only does Elrond lose his daughter, but he loses Aragorn, an orphan not unlike himself, who he'd adopted and raised just as Maglor adopted and raised him. And we don't know the fates of Elrond's sons, but we know that for a long while they too remained in Middle Earth, sundered from their father, and perhaps they too chose a mortal life, and they too were lost to Elrond forever.

So picture yourself in Elrond's position. Picture yourself looking back towards the East, as the White Ship sails into the West. Imagine all the things that Elrond is losing, and all the people he will never see again. But now imagine Elrond turning around and looking forward. Looking west. Imagine that bittersweet emotion as the lands of his children disappear behind him, and he faces the direction of his wife. The direction of Celebrían. For although Elrond had so much to lose by leaving Middle Earth, there was someone waiting for him on the other side. After more than five hundred years apart, in the West, Elrond would find Celebrían. And after a lifetime of losing that which he'd loved, he'd finally be reunited with that love which he'd lost.

From the perspective of a more prideful character this may seem like a sad ending, but from Elrond's perspective I don't think it is. I find that from this perspective, Elrond is an incredibly optimistic character. More so than most Elves, he'd experienced permanent loss many times over, and yet he never loses his kindness. Perhaps at the end of all things, Elrond is not defined by who he lost in Middle Earth, but by who he found again in the Undying Lands.

So, thank you all for reading. Over the course of this year’s lockdown I’ve been working on a series of Tolkien themed YouTube videos called Tolkien Untangled. So far I’ve uploaded 10 episodes explaining the beginning of the Simarillion, the Beginning of Days, and the tale of Fëanor and the Silmarils. I’ve also released four episodes about the differences between the Lord of the Rings books and movies, and I’m currently releasing a weekly series of Tolkien lore videos. So check out Tolkien Untangled on YouTube if you’d like to learn more.

Thanks again everyone. Much love and stay groovy ❤️

[zachsgamejournal]

COMPLETED: Breath of Fire IV

I did it! Though I cheated. But the point is...it’s done. I’m really torn between Breath of Fire 3 & 4. They both have strengths, and they both have weaknesses. And they both have a place in my gamer heart.

This castle. This damn castle. Why? Why make it so huge, so long, so confusing? Frodo had an easier time taking the Ring to Mordor. After reading a guide that I was supposed to pick up a blue key, I back tracked and grabbed it. But then I made the mistake of progressing forward, getting lost in more dead-ends and mazes. I checked a guide again. Apparently I was supposed to turn a 180 and go back to the elevator to lower down to the B1 floor.

Why? Why make this so confusing?

It was especially frustrating because I couldn’t call the elevator to whatever floor I was on.

ANYWAY: I went down to level B1, and while it was still confusing with branching dead ends, I made it to the throne room. There’s a brief moment where Fou Lu taunts us. Ryu doesn’t play any games and takes a swipe at the god. But Fou Lu isn’t here.

Yay.

More walking to go find him.

All the aimless wandering did allow me to level up my characters a bit. When I first played the game (back in the 90s), I was at least level 40 with all the characters. That was enough to win. This time, I think my highest character was at level 34. But I’ve been successful so far...

We follow Fou Lu to the out door area featured in the above image. He tries to convince us to say “to hell with humans”. It’s awkward. Not necessarily that he wants to kill/subjugate all humanity, but he’s so committed to it.

I remember in my first playthrough that Fou Lu has a deep connection to the woman from the village. And then she’s used as a sacrifice, which kind of breaks Fou Lu’s heart and he loses all faith in humanity. But for some reason, it didn’t feel as clear to me this time. I expected a small speech, kind of like when Sephiroth discovers the truth of his birth.

Instead, Fou Lu just keeps talking to Ryu like it’s obvious that humans suck and they should rejoin as one to knock em all out. The game then presents the player with a series of Flashbacks meant to convince that humans are terrible. In this, they showcase all the bad experiences both characters went through. It’s interesting, but not super convincing. In the end, you’re given a choice: join Fou Lu and forsake humans, or FIGHT!

Obviously we fight.

The first final boss is a dragon. Not sure where it came from, but it’s a long. I wasn’t super smart and committed too much AP and Dragon time. While there was no way I was going to lose, it took 20+ minutes to whittle down the dragon’s health and win. At this point, Fou Lu becomes a dragon. I checked a guide (cause I’m trying to save time after spending HOURS in the final dungeon). There wasn’t much useful there, just that Fou Lu casts a spell that brings all active members down to 1 hp.

Unfortunately, everyone was pretty low on AP and my dragons were basically spent. I fought this fucker for over an hour. I think he had about 65k HP, and on a good round I did about 4k damage. On a bad round, I did just around 1k. But more often than not, i was healing, raising the dead, and using AP items. Actually...while I stocked up on +30 AP items, that wasn’t enough to last several rounds. By the time I got everyone’s AP up a little, I was having to heal, and then all the AP was gone.

I barely limped along, slowly losing ground. After an hour, or longer, he took out too many of my characters. maybe one character survived enough to revive another, but then they died on the following round.

I didn’t make it. And I wasn’t going to “try again”. I WANT TO BE DONE!

So, because this is an emulator, I loaded up my recent state save, activated infinite HP, and defeated Fou Lu. After like 30 minutes. Even though I couldn’t die, it still took for ever to do 65k damage. I think at level 40 I could have pulled it off. Or even with better preparation for the fight.

Fou Lu is absorbed by Ryu. Ryu now talks, because he isn’t exactly Ryu anymore. Nina says, “Hey, humans suck--but not everybody!” That’s a paraphrase, but clearly we already think this--which is why we chose to fight Fou Lu. Not-Ryu decides that humans don’t need gods. As an atheist, i agree. So Not-Ryu “banishes” all the gods from this world. This causes his own power to fade, but Ryu (the human part) is left behind. So now he gets to be friends with Nina forever, but he doesn’t have any of his magic. And Deis decides to live out eternity in a magical suit of armor, I guess. I kind of wish Deis had left and Ershin, the armor, was our companion.

In the “credits” things happen. Nothing too exciting, but something very frustrating: Yuna lives. WTF?! The biggest bastard in the game, most deserving of a slow and painful death LIVES! He makes a comment about the gods leaving, but that’s ok cause he can make new ones...and that’s just it. Like, WHAT?!?! The whole reason Nina and Cray went on a quest and met Ryu was because of Yuna. The most evil and cruel acts in the game, which inspire Fou Lu to destroy humanity, is because of Luna! And the end of the game is just Luna being excited to get back to work?!?!?

I did read that he was supposed to die in some sequence that got cut. I feel that was a pretty severe mistake. That’s like Final Fantasy 7 cutting out a final confrontation with Sephiroth, or in Resident Evil you find out Wesker lured the team here but then never see him again. Or, you know, every mystery in Lost.

SO, as a moderate fan of JRPGs and huge fan of story driven games, Breath of Fire IV is a solid 7/10. All the BoF games with which I’m familiar (3, 4, 5) have great personalities and world building. I feel like there’s love and care given to each zone and town. I know I said this before, but BoF3 felt more personal while BoF4 feels more epic. They both start out strong, but then lose steam by the halfway point and later. Honestly, FF7 doesn’t hold its pacing for very long. The problem is they set up feature length film-sized stories and try to stretch across a 25 episode seasonal arch. In both 3 and 4, the objective becomes too clear, too soon, and then it’s a bunch of contrived obstacles adding length.

I’m curious how they could have fixed four. Maybe don’t make it super obvious that Ryu and Fou-Lu need to rejoin. Or don’t make it the prime objective. Take Star Wars, at the end of Strikes Back, Darth reveals he’s Luke’s father. BoF4, it’s revealed that Fou Lu and Ryu are the same dragon. While Return of the Jedi operates with the truth revealed and the constant concern that Luke will have to face his father, it’s not the objective. The Objective is to blow up the Death Star 2.0. Luke and Vader’s relationship complicate that. So in BoF4--a cease fire exists between the Empire and the Alliance. Fou-Lu and the truth behind Nina are leading to a break in that cease fire. All-out war is inevitable. Nina knows that whether they beat the empire or not, the war would be devastating; so she’s against it. Fou Lu becomes so angry with humans, that by the time he takes back his seat, there’s no stopping the war machine. We decide to face Fou Lu directly. But before that decision is made, we travel the world--building alliances with other nations by solving their problems, or disrupting imperial sabotage.

This is kind of the problem with having a too direct plot. Take Game of Thrones S1. It was very direct about the main conflicts: Lanisters trying to gain power, Starks trying to up hold justice, Daenerys trying to “go home” and create the perfect nation. Then season two comes along and broadens the scope. But season 5-6, there’s so many main characters and subplots the show can barely take two steps forward. I don’t think the broader, slower moving later seasons would have bugged me if the show was presented as a “day in the life of a Westerosi” vs having established a very specific and direct set of conflicts.

Anyway. I love Breath of Fire even if it doesn’t blow me away. I’ve got other games to play, but part of me wants to grab a copy of Breath of Fire V.

[a-year-of-musicals]

Day 128/365 - The Lord Of The Rings The Musical

By A.R. Rahman, Christopher Nightingale, Värttinä, Matthew Warchus and Shaun McKenna

The half-Elven maiden Arwen sings the prologue, urging those to whom she sings to trust their instincts (Prologue ('Lasto i lamath')). In the region of Middle-Earth, known as the Shire, Bilbo Baggins, an eccentric and wealthy Hobbit, celebrates his eleventyhundredth birthday by vanishing from his birthday party, leaving his greatest treasure, a mysterious magic Ring, to his young relative Frodo Baggins (Springle Ring). The Ring is greatly desired by the Dark Lord Sauron, who could use it to conquer the world, and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom in Sauron's country of Mordor. Frodo and his friends Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took set out along the road that leads out of the Shire (The Road Goes On). Meanwhile, the corrupt wizard Saruman also desires the Ring (Saruman).

At the Inn of the Prancing Pony in the village of Bree, Frodo and his friends sing and dance for their fellow guests (The Cat and the Moon). With the assistance of the Ranger Strider, the four Hobbits escape pursuit by the Black Riders, servants of Sauron, and safely reach the Ford of Bruinen (Flight to the Ford). Awaiting them at the Elven settlement of Rivendell is Arwen, the beloved of Strider, whose true name is Aragorn, heir to the kingship of the Lands of Men (The Song of Hope). Arwen's father, Lord Elrond, calls a Council of Elves, Men and Dwarves at which it is decided that Frodo will carry the Ring to Mordor. The Fellowship of the Ring sets out from Rivendell: Frodo and his three fellow Hobbits, Aragorn, the human warrior Boromir, the Elf Legolas, the Dwarf Gimli, and the great wizard Gandalf the Grey. Arwen and the people of Rivendell invoke the holy power of the star Eärendil to protect and guide the Fellowship on its journey (Star of Eärendil). In the ancient, ruined Dwarf-mines of Moria, Gandalf confronts a Balrog, a monstrous creature of evil, and falls into the darkness.

The Fellowship takes refuge in Lothlórien, the mystical realm of Galdriel, an Elven lady of great power and wisdom (The Golden Wood/Lothlórien). As their journey south continues, Boromir attempts to take the Ring from Frodo; Frodo and Sam flee from the rest of the Fellowship, and Boromir falls in battle. Gandalf returns in time to intervene at the Siege of the City of Kings, where the Lands of Men are under attack by the forces of Saruman and the Orcs of Mordor (The Siege of the City of Kings). Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam are joined on their journey by Gollum, a twisted creature who long possessed the Ring and desires to have it for his own again. As they approach Mordor, Frodo and Sam sing to each other about the power of stories (Now and for Always). Gollum is moved by their song, but the evil side of his personality asserts itself and he plans to betray the Hobbits (Gollum/Sméagol).

If Aragorn can defeat the forces of evil and reclaim the kingship of Men, he will receive Arwen's hand in marriage (The Song of Hope Duet). Meanwhile, Gollum leads Sam and Frodo to the lair of an enormous spider named Shelob so he can take the Ring from Frodo when he is dead, but the hobbits manage to survive and make their way to Mount Doom. Galadriel casts spells to protect the forces of good in the final battle (Wonder/The Final Battle). Frodo and Sam finally reach the Cracks of Doom to destroy the Ring once and for all, but Frodo is consumed by the Ring's power and claims it for himself. Suddenly, Gollum reappears and takes the Ring from Frodo, but he loses his balance and falls into the fire with it. Aragorn becomes King and marries Arwen (City of Kings), but Frodo, wearied by his quest, and the great Elves must leave Middle-earth forever and sail to the lands of the West (Epilogue (Farewells)). Bidding farewell to their friend, Sam, Merry and Pippin resume their lives in the Shire (Finale).

As a Lord Of The Rings fan, I was skeptical but I was wrong to be! Obviously with the movies having such an amazing soundtrack so wasn’t sure quite how the musical would achieve the same mood without copyrighting but it does so amazingly!

Favourite Songs: The Road Goes On, Saruman, The Cat And The Moon, Flight To The Ford, The Song Of Hope, Star Of Eärendil, Lament For Moria, The Golden Wood, Lothlóren (joint fave), The Siege Of The City Of Kings, Now And For Always (other joint fave), Gollum/Sméagol (this is very good), The Song Of Hope Duet, Wonder and Epilogue.

Favourite Characters: Gollum/Sméagol

The amazing acting skills required and plus the the complex characterisation. And the song as well!