three special interests in a trench coat

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See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

Sounds perfect Wahhhh, I don’t wanna
welcomingdisaster
welcomingdisaster

the doom of mandos is...

just a prediction of what will happen if the noldor leave

an actual curse that dooms the noldor and can be lifted

prediction of what will occur if the valar don't intervene & promise not to

something else? please tell me

this is an invitation to share your thoughts about this because i'm deeply curious

i initially interpreted it as a prediction with no curse behind it, but i'm struck by how often characters mention the doom being visible/laying on them (melian sees it on the noldor, etc) which suggests there is more to it than that. ulmo also cautions turgon that he cannot "remove" the doom of mandos. which both suggests that he might wish to (love you ulmo you're a real one) and that the doom has some kind of power more akin to a curse.

for a while i toyed with it being kind of like "this is a battle you cannot win without our help, and we're pinky promising we're never ever gonna help you" but that doesn't really add up with ulmo's words, or the fact that the valar (notably manwë and ulmo) do help.

so i'm left with "to some degree, the doom of mandos IS a curse and a punishment."

potatoobsessed999

I read it as like… it’s hard to put into words. As a prediction that is a curse? Or a curse that is a prediction? Unifying theory of the Doom. What I mean is like - the Valar are very much tied into the fabric of creation. So when they pronounce the Doom, it’s less them externally imposing Bad Vibes on the future of the Noldor, and more a cosmic pronouncement of natural consequences. There is a real judgment being placed on the Noldor, and that judgment is the harm they do to themselves. And it can also be mitigated by merciful intervention, which is what happens at long last in the War of Wrath (and to a lesser extent with Tuor and with Manwe’s eagles), so… my answer is sort of all three? And they’re sort of all the same thing, because the Valar are Like That.

valar silm tolkien ty for the chance to put this in writing!! it has been a vague thought bouncing around my head for some time
that-angry-noldo
actual-bill-potts

"We are nearly there," said Finarfin. He pulled Findaráto - Finrod, he reminded himself, I must remember, Finrod - into a one-armed hug. He could not stop sneaking glances at his son. His son, his grown son! His returned son!

Finrod was quieter within himself than of old, and his smile was a little lopsided; but he was bright and tall, and gentle, and he raised one eyebrow whenever he had a question in the quizzical manner that was Eärwen’s, and sometimes as they walked he tapped one finger upon his cheekbone absent-mindedly in just the way he had done as a child, and Finarfin’s heart ached with loss and joy both.

He opened the little gate and led the way down the familiar winding path. He and Eärwen had decided, long ago, that it was necessary to have a little space from the palace on occasion - both palaces - and so they kept a small house a little outside Tirion. It was to the door of this house that he led Finrod. He and Eärwen had not wanted to have the duties of rule interfering with this first reunion with their son; nor had they thought that the bustle of palace life would be good for one so newly returned. So it was just them, and Hueleni, who were there awaiting Finrod.

They had found, for the Returned, that too many crowds too early could be painful, even alarming. Finarfin had thought with a pang of his gregarious, kind firstborn, and hoped he would not be lonely. Now, feeling his son lean on him, hesitating before the door, he was glad of the decision.

He fumbled for the keys. Behind the door, Hueleni barked.

"Ah!" Finarfin said, smiling. He remembered Finrod’s tiny sticky hands entangled in the ears of their little dog Aranel, an Age and a half past; then Findaráto, tall and princely, abandoning dignity to chase Aranel down the beach of Alqualondë. "Our new dog, Hueleni. You will like her, I am sure -"

He paused. The warm weight of Finrod upon his shoulder had frozen; and when he turned about his son’s face was bone-white.

"Are you alright?" asked Finarfin in alarm. "Is it too hot? We can go inside -"

"No," said Finrod breathlessly. He was backing away, shaking his head. "No, not - inside -"

"What is wrong -" Finarfin began to ask. Then he knew. He remembered the whispers that had spread throughout the refugee camps, the ragged recruits who had come to join the armies of the Valar: the Lord Felagund’s father; what kind of Elda must he be, to have raised such a king; and no wonder he has gone to war, for his son died so terribly - the wolves -

He had been so stupid. So terribly, irredeemably - foolish -

He reached out. Uselessly, stupidly; his son had not taken his hand on that terrible dark day so many years ago, and he would not take it now -

In the next breath his hand was left hanging uselessly; Finrod’s arms were flung about his neck, his son’s head buried in his shoulder, and Finarfin returned the embrace as fiercely as if by doing so he could tear Finrod from chains that had been broken long ago.

finarfin finrod silm fanfic silm tolkien AAAAAAAAAAAAA augh my heart!!
first-son-of-finwe
eleneressea

can't be normal sorry thinking about Míriel making a baby quilt for Fëanor

eleneressea

I love quilts so much, says blog named after a quilt pattern

eleneressea

but what if it was a lone star quilt. what if Fëanor's symbol comes from the quilt that his mom made for him.

eleneressea

image

@first-son-of-finwe

I was taught to say prayers and blessings for the person you're making the quilt for when you're sewing the binding, which is the last stage of quilt making. given the general elven abilities to imbue objects with the maker's intent…Míriel putting her love for her baby in there. sewing her desire for her baby boy to be warm, to be safe, to sleep soundly into the binding of the quilt. it's the last thing she makes and she fills the little quilt with her love for her son.

Fëanor never has nightmares when he sleeps under the quilt. neither do his sons or Celebrimbor. they just dream about a silver haired elf cradling them close and kissing their foreheads and whispering blessings.

first-son-of-finwe

😭😭😭 why would you make it so much worse better?

miriel feanor silm tolkien AUGH MY HEART ;_; ;_; ;_;
jewlikeruth
aceiestartist

People who have never read the Animorphs books, I invite you to guess: WHICH STATEMENT IS NOT TRUE ABOUT ANIMORPHS

All morphing has a small risk of death by warp-speed spacecraft.

Parasitic alien slugs can get addicted to instant oatmeal.

There is character named after a fan who only appears in two books.

The main characters permanently trap a kid on an island, as a rat, on purpose.

One of the major alien races is constantly on the verge of starvation.

A major recurring character is partially named after Gandalf.

There is a virus that can wipe a species from existence at the atomic level.

Atlantis is real.

A reality-warping alien has the appearance of a dinosaur with a human face.

A sapient hawk is the child of a human and an alien via time travel.

animorphs fjskjdkdkhskdj this is great i’m preeeetty sure i know which one is false? (speaking as a Very Animorphs Fan) and if i’m right that particular choice of lie is hilarious. well played
hhimring
booreilly

image


"Maedhros did deeds of surpassing valour, and the Orcs fled before his face; for since his torment upon Thangorodrim his spirit burned like a white fire within, and he was as one that returns from the dead."


resentfully throwing this ginger mass murderer into the tumblr void because i've been trying to get his eyes right for weeks to avail and now he's been bumped down to my second favourite character accordingly.

maedhros silm fanart silm tolkien MAEMAE i LOVE this his expression! his hair in the wind!
thelordofgifs
thelordofgifs

Obscure Tolkien Blorbo: Semifinal

Eldacar of Gondor vs One (1) Rivendell elf who sings tra-la-la-lally

Eldacar of Gondor:

The twenty-first King of Gondor, also known as Vinitharya. During his reign the conflict known as the Kin-strife occurred and he was forced from his throne for ten years.

  • The blorbo of all time actually. He’s the protagonist of one of the most interesting stories in the LoTR appendices, the Kin-strife, and everything about his life story is so fascinating! His father was the crown prince of Gondor and his mother was the princess of Rhovanion so not a Númenorean. As a result all the racist nobles of Gondor made noises about how Eldacar was of “lesser race” and wouldn’t live as long as a “true Dúnadan”. One of the most fascinating examples of fantasy racism in Tolkien’s works imo – the bigotry is awful but the bigots have a shield to hide behind! Obviously their concerns are actually valid because they just don’t want their king to die young! (Their concerns aren’t valid. But I think the worldbuilding here is great.) Anyway Eldacar was born in Rhovanion and given the birth-name Vinitharya, but when he returned to Gondor aged five he was obliged to take up the Quenya name Eldacar, presumably to pacify all the racists in Gondor. He’s the EMBODIMENT of mixed-race/immigrant child trauma my beloved. Eventually his father died and he ascended to the throne of Gondor, but then his shitty second cousin Castamir (all my homies hate Castamir he’s the worst) started the civil war known as the Kin-strife and usurped Eldacar’s throne. Eldacar was forced to flee north to Rhovanion but Castamir captured his eldest son Ornendil and had him cruelly put to death which is SO SAD. But Eldacar, being brave and resourceful and clever and extremely cool, put together an alliance with his mother’s kinsfolk in Rhovanion and after ten years reclaimed his throne, which turned out to be slightly easier than expected because Castamir was The Worst and all his subjects hated him. And Eldacar PERSONALLY fought and killed Castamir HIMSELF and AVENGED HIS SON which is extremely important when you consider all the cringefail elves in the legendarium whose quests for revenge didn’t really go anywhere at all. Then he lived to be 235 proving that all the idiot racists who were worried about his lifespan didn’t have any idea what they were talking about, as is par for the course with racists. Also the Kin-strife itself has such far-reaching consequences for the history of Gondor! The Corsairs of Umbar, Gondor’s long-standing enemies, are actually followers of the descendants of Castamir. And during the Usurpation of Castamir Osgiliath was sacked and burned, leading to the beginning of its decline as Gondor’s greatest city. Even though Eldacar’s story is, to me, ultimately hopeful, it’s also such a fascinating turning point in the history of Gondor. Also ALSO he’s explicitly surrounded by textual ghosts which is really fascinating. His father Valacar has “children” plural – so Eldacar had siblings!! What were they like? How did they react to it all? And his son Aldamir is described as Eldacar’s second son and third child, meaning that he had a daughter too. Who was she?? What happened to her? He’s such a blorbo and there’s so much interesting stuff to dig into around him and he has to win this entire tournament please please please❤️

One (1) Rivendell elf who sings tra-la-la-lally:

One of the Elves of Rivendell who sing tra-la-la-lally in The Hobbit.

  • This one specific elf sings tra la la lally with the rest but he is slightly off key and the other elves bully him for it
  • they’re SILLY!!! We need NEED more silly elves!! Like who are these weirdos just hanging out in the trees of Rivendell? Did they know the dwarves were coming and gather their friends to specifically climb those trees to sing nonsense at them? Do they just normally sit there and sing about every little thing they see? Is this a traditional Rivendell thing or are those elves just really strange? I’m obsessed with them they’re everything to me. Elves are oft portrayed as being Too Serious in this fandom and silly elves need rights too! Silly elf rights!!!!

Who is your blorbo?

Eldacar of Gondor

One (1) Rivendell elf who sings tra-la-la-lally

See Results

Semifinals masterpost

thelordofgifs

ohhhhh you will not believe how feral I can be about this!! for a start have the propaganda compilation again (people whom I keep tagging in this are probably used to it by now but sorry anyway)

VOTE ELDACAR PEOPLE HE’S EVERYTHING.

ymfingsteadilyon

For those unaware: we now have multiple bribefics riding on an Eldacar victory. Want to know who would actually win an argument between Thingol and Fëanor? Want to get the next chapter of The Fairest Stars sooner than we will if thelordofgifs falls into a depressive slump/casts her computer away in despair/dedicates her life to hunting down every single existing copy of The Hobbit to excise all mention of the tralalalallying elves?

Vote. Eldacar.

You have an hour.

eldacar lotr tolkien hfksfhskdjshsh this is so funny