#lothlorien
So anyways tonight I am crying about how beautifully Aulë’s description of the Dwarves of his creation was, rather than simply their hardened and nearly comical exteriors as presented in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. The Dwarves are devoted to their work, yes, but through the lens of Aulë’s passion and lovefor his creatures do we truly see the softer, more beautiful side of the Dwarves and their rough exteriors and creations.
They may work in the darkness and in stone, but they are craftsmen with finelyhoned talent, intricacy, and attention to detail just like their creator. Their beauty lies in their fortitude, their strength to cradle the most precious of jewels and yet survive in grandiose halls of stone. They are much like the Elves in that regard, as the Elves live long in the strongest of trees (as in Lothlorien) yet they care for the most delicate of flowers, seeds and patterns. One is a beauty of dusty, dirty things and the other is a beauty of light colors and softness. They are quite harmonious when one considers.
Cited: The Silmarillion, p. 43 - 46
The walls of Caras Neldorath.
Would you stand before these gates as a friend, or as an enemy?
It is an immense team effort by the Lager der Elben construction team to put this stockade into place for each Epic Empires. The modules have to be carried to the location and assembled there, and after the event, they are again disassembled and carried to their storage location. My part in this was very small: During the original planning phase I gave feedback and Ideas to how it looks from the outside and what it should support gameplay-wise: Limited cover for defending archers and plenty of space where enemies can try to climb the wall.
The photo was taken by The Kelric View
Further exploring realms of extreme possibility concerning the fate of Nenya (as well as the other two Rings of Power) should Sauron regain the One Ring.
The purpose of these posts are to allow me to brainstorm ideas for The Circles, an alternate universe fanfiction series. Writing ideas out like this helps me solidify more nebulous concepts and choose a course of action.
Today I just finished re-reading “The Council of Elrond.”
ELROND: “The Three were not made by Sauron, nor did he touch them. […] But they were not made as weapons of war or conquest: that is not their power. Those who made them did not desire strength or domination or hoarded wealth, but understanding, making, and healing, to preserve all things unstained. These things the Elves of Middle-earth have in some measure gained, though with sorrow. But all that has been wrought by those who wield the Three will turn to their undoing, and their minds and hearts will become revealed to Sauron, if he regains the One.” (p. 301)
The way I read this is that Elrond is theorizing that all that has been made by the Three Rings (such as the defenses around Lothlorien and Rivendell) will effectively be cursed should Sauron regain the One Ring. Elrond may or may not be correct in his assumptions, but we never got to find out in the canon version.
THE THEORY I AM PLAYING AROUND WITH IS AS FOLLOWS: As long as Galadriel does not wear Nenya, the magical girdle that she has established around Lorien will continue to protect her realm for an indefinite period of time, even though Sauron has the One Ring. I further theorize that Sauron cannot control a Ring of Power from afar unless someone is wearing it. Sauron KNOWS now that Galadriel is a Ringbearer, and he has an understanding of the defenses around the forest, but he has to rely upon less powerful underlings to do his bidding. Here is where the Galadhrim may have the upper hand - at least for a while. Of course, if Sauron came in person to Lorien, he could easily shatter Galadriel’s defenses. They would stand up to the might of the Dark Lord like a house of cards in a wind storm.
In my post Galadriel vs Sauron and the Fate of Lorien, I had entertained the possibility that over time, the enchantments around Lorien would start to show signs of corruption, such as strange and twisted vegetation. However, I hesitated on this, because the Three Rings were not evil in themselves, and I wasn’t certain if their works could turn to evil.
However, Elrond theorizes, “But all that has been wrought by those who wield the Three will turn to their undoing[…]”
So maybe the vegetation in the forest SHOULD eventually start showing the effects of the Shadow. The trees could sicken, but instead of dying, they cling unnaturally to life, becoming gnarled, twisted abominations that are terrifying to behold… a corruption of the preservative, time altering, entropy defying effects of the Three Rings…
OR maybe instead of a physical effect, the elves start to turn against each other, like how in the various times in the Silmarillion that the ramifications of the Oath and the Curse of Mandos became activated, igniting suspicion, paranoia, and bloodlust.
Some intriguing ideas to contemplate.
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES……..
The Ring is on Sauron’s Finger; What Happens Next?
Galadriel vs Sauron and the Fate of Lorien
Further Thoughts on Galadriel, Sauron and Nenya
Master of Rings Mastered by Ring… Or At Least Inconvenienced)