#and they were also constrained by their oath

[last-capy-hupping]

I finally did the thing! I wrote about the six youngest sons of Fëanor rejecting Morgoth’s offer to free Maedhros. Sweet Eru, it hurt.

#silmarillion #fanfic #silm typical angst #silm typical violence #dark fic #sons of feanor #wives of sons of feanor #maglor #maglor’s wife #celegorm #caranthir #caranthir’s wife #curufin #curufin’s wife #celebrimbor #amras #amrod #and they were also constrained by their oath #oath of feanor #war crimes against envoys

[polutrope]

Just pure headcanons, what do you think happened during Maglor's reign as a king? I don't know if his reign was short or something but I remember it took some time before Fingon was able to save Maedhros and unite the noldor and there was still some division between the host of nolofinweans and feanorians. I wonder if he considered himself a placeholder until Maedhros returned or was he a reluctant king? Did the host respect him as a king, did his own brothers respect him as a king? I am so intrigued because, aside from Maedhros, I think Maglor deserved some shoutout lmao (No, this isn't a maglor-obsession-spree that I have been on, nu uh). Also, I feel like he would have some cordial relationship with Fingolfin, they could bond as the second sons having to take leadership because the eldest died/was abducted idk.

Oh no, starlitelwing. I hope you know the Pandora's Box you've just opened. King Maglor is one of my all-time favourite things to think about.

First of all: there's actually no canonical information on Maglor's position after the capture of Maedhros (in fact, we don't even know what Maedhros' title/position was after Feanor's death; all we know is that Feanor "claimed now the kingship of all the Noldor" in Tirion. Contested leadership is SO GOOD isn't it? anyway...).

The published Silmarillion glosses right over the question of who's in charge during the time between Feanor's death and Fingolfin's official assumption of the Kingship of the Noldor (which, if you ask me, Fingolfin effectively had been King since the time of Feanor's exile, and he was in any case Regent at the time of Finwe's death... he said he'd follow Feanor but the people following him were calling him Finwe Nolofinwe soooo... aiee, I digress again). The book gallops at such a breakneck speed that you don't really notice the gap in leadership. Or, I didn't.

But then you look at the Grey Annals (where Tolkien Gateway gets most of its First Age dates) and you see that there are 2-3 Tree Years and 5 Sun Years between Maedhros' capture and his rescue. Now, however you imagine time works in Tree Years when there are no Trees, that's still a long time. Maedhros was gone at a minimum 6-7 years, more likely closer to the equivalent of 30 "regular" years. (That's way longer, by the way, than the time between Feanor's death and Maedhros' capture, which was like, a day to a month, at most. Maedhros, if he even was King, was King for way less time than whoever followed him. And he sucked at the job, btw. But I digress. Again.)

So someone had to be in charge for those 6 to 30 years, but whomst? That the leadership would pass after Feanor's death to the eldest son is logical, and that it would then pass to the next eldest is also logical. I see no reason to refute that, but note: it would not be uncanonical to have someone other than Maedhros or Maglor in charge at this time. You can make King Celegorm a thing and still be canon-compliant!

This passage in the published Silm is basically the extent of the activities of the sons of Feanor during Maedhros' absence:

Then the brothers of Maedhros drew back, and fortified a great camp in Hithlum; but Morgoth held Maedhros as hostage, and sent word that he would not release him unless the Noldor would forsake their war, returning into the West, or else departing far from Beleriand into the South of the world. But the sons of Feanor knew that Morgoth would betray them, and would not release Maedhros, whatsoever they might do; and they were constrained also by their oath, and might not for any cause forsake the war against their Enemy.

The sense here is that all six sons acted as a unit. But in the 1937 Quenta Silmarillion, the text on which this passage is drawn:

Morgoth held [Maedhros] as hostage and sent word to Maglor that he would only release his brother if …

To Maglor! Excellent evidence that Tolkien was also making the logical conclusion that Maglor, the eldest, was in charge. (My best theory for why Christopher Tolkien took that out is Too Many Names, but it's an odd decision.)

All that was to say: We don't know, canonically, that Maglor was in charge at Mithrim. But it makes a lot of sense, and it's my headcanon that he was.

Now. More interesting headcanons.

I don't think Maglor was called King until it was politically necessary.

I see him as someone who is comfortable in command (one meaning of Cano is "commander", after all) but who likes to command collaboratively. Double-edged sword: he values the input of others (admirable quality) and he does not like being fully responsible for the outcomes of a decision (less admirable).

Unlike much fanon I've come across, I don't think Maglor was a particularly reluctant or incompetent leader or that he hated it. He was miserable, yes, because his father just died and his brother was just captured, and he wasn't thrilled to become a leader on top of that, but he keeps it together.

So how do I imagine it all went down?

The problem with Maglor being in command is that his "collaborative" style of leadership is not appropriate for a time of crisis or for his family. While the Silm often talks about "the sons of a Feanor" as a unit, I do not think they were of the same mind on everything. At all. They need a firm hand, and Maglor does not have that.

But who does have a firm hand? Who would be a more martial ruler, someone who could get people in order during a crisis? Celegorm. And he knows it.

So why did the Feanorians "get nothing done" during those 6-30 years (sidenote: I don't actually think they got nothing done, but it does seem they didn't get anything BIG done)? Well, for one, they were fighting amongst themselves.

Maglor could not get his brothers to agree on anything, and yet he did not know any other way of commanding, and over time he becomes more and more miserable as a leader.

Celegorm, meanwhile, is chomping at the bit to "relieve him" of the burden.

Around them, everyone else is picking sides.

Curufin is an interesting case. I headcanon he actually was fully behind Maglor at the beginning, because he respects the orderliness of succession. But as Maglor proves himself unsuitable for the role, he aligns with Celegorm.

Outside the family, I headcanon that the Mithrim Elves were actually quite taken with Maglor, the poet-king. Their alliance hinges on him. But the Noldor, especially the army, would rather follow Celegorm.

As everyone knows, a rival for leadership with the army's support is Bad News. And yet Maglor manages to hold on. He should definitely get credit for that.

But why hold on? If he is hating this ruler job, why not just let Celegorm have it? Couple reasons:

It's Celegorm. He may be able to perform well, but Maglor knows he's the most like Feanor in temperament and, well, Feanor's kingship didn't end well.

If Maglor gives up that crown, he will have admitted to himself that Maedhros is not coming back. This is the same reason he doesn't give it over to Fingolfin when Uncle Nolvo shows up. He is hanging onto that thing for dear life because, to him, it belongs to Maedhros and only Maedhros. He is the crown's custodian, never its rightful owner (this bleeds into my headcanon that Maglor does not "in his heart" agree with Maedhros' decision to cede the kingship — he'll never be as vocal about it as the others, though).

Now we come to another piece. What did Maglor call himself? Like I said up top, I don't think he initially called himself King. He was "head of his House", or maybe, "Lord of Hithlum," or maybe King Regent, but never King. If one of the Mithrim got mixed up and called him that, he would always correct them.

That changes when Fingolfin shows up. Now there's another claimant to the title of King. Possibly a more legitimate one than even Maedhros (as Maedhros later says himself).

By that time, Maglor has been keeping that crown out of Celegorm's hands for years; he is not giving it up now. And Fingolfin is less likely to challenge his leadership if he offers no room for ambiguity. If he dons the mantle of kingship and pretends Maedhros is dead.

So that is what he does... Does Fingolfin accept it? Well: "Then there was peril of strife between the hosts."

For three years, on opposite sides of the Lake, they're at an impasse. Fingon doesn't go looking for Maedhros because he thinks Maedhros is dead (and other reasons: the mission is insane and desperate not the least, and contrary to popular opinion Fingon is not a rash idiot).

How does Fingon eventually learn the truth? You'll have to wait and read what @melestasflight and I are cooking up for Silm Epistolary Week ;)

ETA: Despite this, I do think you're right that Maglor and Fingolfin could have bonded over their similar experiences! There's the personal and there's the political, and I love the idea of the tension between these straining what could be an emotionally supportive familial friendship between Maglor and Fingolfin.

#asks #maglor #high king maglor #or not #bless you for this ask #apologies for the length #istg I did proofread this before hitting post #apparently not well

[thelordofgifs]

In Defence of the Sons of Fëanor

Wait, again? Yes, always. But not anything really bad! Kinslaying, I hope we can agree, is pretty indefensible. But an accusation I often see levelled against the younger sons - that they failed to rescue Maedhros from Angband out of cowardice/stupidity - is bugging me. So! Before I get a fandom reputation as "the Gil-galad poster", I thought I might write something about a character I actually care about - Maglor! Also his younger brothers, but Maglor is the one I’m particularly invested in defending.

In fic (particularly a lot of Russingon fic) the views I tend to see expressed by characters, and backed up by the narrative, go something like "The Fëanorions heartlessly refused Morgoth's offer to release Maedhros and left their brother to torture for thirty years! Dangling from a cliff in full view of their camp! But then heroic Fingon showed up and immediately rescued him with nothing more than a bow and a harp - he barely even stopped to eat first!"

Firstly, I obviously understand that views expressed by the characters are not that of the author. It is absolutely valid for Fingon to accuse the Fëanorions of cowardice, and completely in-character for Maglor to feel incredibly guilty about not rescuing Maedhros (and in fact a pretty essential part of their dynamic, in my opinion). My issue is with fics that very much imply that this view is the Only Correct One. There are a lot of things Maglor does wrong over the course of the Silm. This is not one of them.

Beginning with the refusal to surrender to Morgoth in exchange for Maedhros’ release - I hope nobody seriously considers this a bad decision? A crushing one, certainly. You can write really sad fic about this (I plan to). But the Noldor had just received an excellent lesson in why trusting Morgoth to parley was a bad idea. They had no reason to believe that Morgoth would actually release Maedhros if they surrendered - which is correct. He wouldn’t have. The published Silm adds, “and they were constrained also by their oath” - incidentally, a fairly compelling point of evidence in favour of the oath being binding in nature to some extent, but not the point here. The point here is that they couldn’t have surrendered to Morgoth, and shouldn’t have anyway.

So, with that out of the way, we can accept that what Maglor et al are being accused of is not refusing to parley with Morgoth, but failing to mount an independent rescue mission.

(Incidentally, it’s generally assumed that Maglor, the second-eldest brother, was the one in charge during Maedhros’ captivity. I usually subscribe to this myself, but I would also like to note that Maglor is not once named during the description of these events. It’s always “the sons of Fëanor”, as a unit. You could make a pretty strong case that they were deciding things together, or even that one of his younger brothers had usurped him somewhat - C&C have form in that area…)

Actually before I move on from Morgoth’s proposed deal, an important question: did Maedhros’ brothers know that he was alive? According to (I think) the Grey Annals, Maedhros was captured in YT 1497, and suspended from Thangorodrim in YT 1498 - presumably after his brothers had refused Morgoth’s offer. That’s potentially around 10 years in which they heard nothing, before Morgoth makes them the offer! Perhaps they reasoned that Morgoth wouldn’t have put such a valuable prisoner to death; perhaps not. It’s doubtful they were offered actual proof that Maedhros was alive, at any rate.

“Sure,” you might say, “but they definitely knew he was alive once they could see him suspended from Thangorodrim!” I can’t actually express how strongly I disagree with this common headcanon. The Fëanorions couldn’t see Maedhros on the cliff! Where did people get this idea from? I presume it’s because of Legolas’ various physics-defying feats of eyesight in LoTR. I would like to make the argument here that there’s no reason to assume Noldor accustomed to the light of the Trees could see as well in the starlight as a Silvan Elf of shadowed Mirkwood, but that’s not really necessary. There’s much stronger evidence pointing clearly to the fact that Maedhros wasn’t visible: Fingolfin’s host marches right up to the gates of Angband and nobody notices him. He even yells for help, and they don’t hear him! There is no way that anyone knew he was there (and the Sun had risen by this stage, too. If he was visible, they’d have seen him.) I’m allergic to geography, so don’t take my word on this, but my understanding is that Thangorodrim is a whole little mountain range or something, not like a single cliff. As additional support for this, Fingon gets lost on his eventual rescue mission (in which he’s trying to break into Angband itself, because that’s where he thinks Maedhros is) and only finds Maedhros when he hears him singing. The Fëanorions were absolutely not spending thirty years going “ooh look clear day today! Give Nelyo a wave!”

The next thing to tackle is the odd implication that rescuing Maedhros was really easy, actually, and his brothers were cowards for not even attempting it. Not only do I think this untrue, I don’t see why you’d want it to be true? Fingon’s rescue of Maedhros is one of the best parts of the silm. It’s moving because Fingon is so so brave, and he’s brave because what he attempted was impossible. There is seriously NO reason why that should have worked, and that’s what’s wonderful about it. Suggesting that Maedhros’ brothers held back from attempting a rescue because of cowardice or not caring about him, and not because it couldn’t be done, imo really devalues the magnitude of Fingon’s act of grace.

On a more practical level, nothing about the description of the rescue mission suggests it was easy and anyone could have done it? I genuinely hate to make this joke but… one does not simply walk into Angband. Fingon is specifically described as “aided by the very darkness that Morgoth had made” - a darkness which, you recall, he had made in response to the light of the new Sun. If you’d tried to walk up to Thangorodrim before Morgoth had made his smog, you’d have been caught! There were orcs there! And probably all manner of other fell beasties! Maedhros absolutely couldn’t have been rescued before the rising of the Sun, and specifically Morgoth’s response to it.

A final point - the somewhat common claim that Fingon immediately, the instant he learned what had befallen Maedhros, set out to rescue him, and didn’t even stop to like, brush his teeth first. This is a nice image! The Russingon feels are unparalleled! Unfortunately, I don’t think the text backs it up. The published silm states that Fingon went to Angband “resolved to heal the feud that divided the Noldor”. This rather strongly implies that Fingon only left on his mission some time after he arrived at Mithrim, since there was clearly time for tensions to arise between the two hosts. One of the Annals (Grey or of Beleriand? I get them mixed up - at any rate, the timeline on Tolkien Gateway) puts this in even starker terms, stating that Fingolfin’s host arrived at Mithrim in Year 2 of the Sun, and Fingon rescued Maedhros in Year 5. That’s three years of waiting around before he set out! Now, you could headcanon that maybe Maglor et al told Fingon that Maedhros was dead, and he only later learned that they meant “captured and we never found a body” - but it’s also possible that he knew Maedhros was a captive the entire time, and still didn’t do anything. Three years is obviously not the same as thirty, but I find this detail interesting even so. It rather muddies the dichotomy of “Maedhros’ brothers didn’t care enough to rescue him, Fingon immediately saved him” that I often see.

tl;dr the Fëanorions weren’t cowards who didn’t love their brother, they were sensible and it’s tragic.

Right I hope that was a fairly measured and reasonable post (it was supposed to be at any rate) so now I can very quickly say how DARE you imply that Maglor didn’t love Maedhros consider how close he settles to Himring consider how he’s the only one Maedhros brings with him to the Mereth Aderthad consider their last debate ie the most heartbreaking dialogue in the entire book consider how he’s right and yet he still follows Maedhros in stealing the Silmarils consider how he only finally breaks after Maedhros’ death you can pry that tender loving codependent relationship from my COLD DEAD HANDS ok I’m normal now :)

#silmarillion #meta #my meta #maglor #maedhros #fingon #the line of miriel #accuse my poor little meow meow of crimes! #but accuse him of the right crimes at least #this is mostly directed at an imaginary person who claimed all these things #since they’re most commonly arguments I see separately #but I decided to rebut them all together

[elerondo]

Understanding Fëanor’s perspective on the Oath of Fëanor

I read clothonono post and I do agree that the Oath of Fëanor was not made with reclamation of the Silmarils in mind. Before the Oath’s unfortunate escalation, the Oath of Fëanor was made by Fëanor for the purpose of avenging Finwë. I submit my case with paragraphs from The Silmarillion.

Of the Flight of the Noldor, p. 84

Then Fëanor ran from the Ring of Doom, and fled into the night; for his father was dearer to him than the Light of Valinor or the peerless works of his hands; and who among sons, of Elves or of Men, have held their fathers of greater worth?

The only context that Fëanor had at the time of Finwë’s murder was that:

1) Melkor slew Finwë, but Melkor was not alone. Of the Flight of the Noldor, p. 83, emphasis mine

But even as Nienna mourned, there came messengers from Formenos, and they were Noldor and bore new tidings of evil. For they told how a blind Darkness came northward, and in the midst walked some power for which there was no name, and the Darkness issued from it. But Melkor also was there, and he came to the house of Fëanor, and there he slew Finwë King of the Noldor before his doors, and spilled the first blood in the Blessed Realm

2) Melkor took the Silmarils, among other jewels. Of the Flight of the Noldor, p. 83

And they told that Melkor had broken the stronghold of Formenos, and taken all the jewels of the Noldor that were hoarded in that place; and the Silmarils were gone.

Thus, Fëanor had all rights to suspect that Melkor may not have been working alone when “a blind Darkness came” but Fëanor did not have any clue who was with Melkor. Not only that, Yavanna had just asked for the Silmarils, and before Fëanor could answer, Tulkas prepositioned the idea that no one should deny Yavanna!

Of the Flight of the Noldor, p. 83, emphasis mine

Then Manwë spoke and said: ‘Hearest thou, Fëanor son of Finwë, the words of Yavanna? Wilt thou grant what she would ask?’ There was long silence, but Fëanor answered no word. Then Tulkas cried: ‘Speak, O Noldo, yea or nay! But who shall deny Yavanna? And did not the light of the Silmarils come from her work in the beginning?’

It seemed to him that he was beset in a ring of enemies, and the words of Melkor returned to him, saying that the Silmarils were not safe, if the Valar would possess them. ‘And is he not Vala as are they,’ said his thought, ‘and does he not understand their hearts? Yea, a thief shall reveal thieves!’ Then he cried aloud: ‘This thing I will not do of free will. But if the Valar will constrain me, then shall I know indeed that Melkor is of their kindred.’

Before Finwë’s murder, Fëanor believes that the Valar all support each other, even Melkor. Tulkas expects Fëanor to just roll over for Yavanna’s request, just because she is a Vala. Then, Melkor slays Finwë and Fëanor names him Morgoth. Worst, the Valar’s narrative being focused on the Silmarils’ Light instead of Finwë’s murder, though unspoken, was clearly understood by Fëanor due to their prior self entitlement regarding the Silmarils, and inaction regarding Finwë’s murder.

Alas! The Valar want the Silmarils for their Light, and Melkor (Morgoth) actually took the Silmarils! Had Melkor (Morgoth) not been chained before? And if Morgoth were to come under the Valar’s arrest once more, would the Valar then come into possession of the Silmarils finally? Furthermore, as mentioned, Fëanor knows that some being was working with Morgoth, but he knows not who. Fëanor does not know Morgoth wants sole possession of the Silmarils, or if the Silmarils would change hands. However, the matter of the Silmarils pale in comparison to his father Finwë!

Of the Flight of the Noldor, p. 84

Then Fëanor ran from the Ring of Doom, and fled into the night; for his father was dearer to him than the Light of Valinor or the peerless works of his hands; and who among sons, of Elves or of Men, have held their fathers of greater worth?

Fëanor made the Oath of Fëanor for the sole purpose of killing Morgoth, to avenge Finwë’s death. The Oath was worded in such a way that whoever touched the Silmarils would be killed. There is thus no loophole or any universe in which Morgoth could live after the slaughter of Finwë, even if Morgoth gave back the Silmarils, even if Morgoth was arrested and chained once more and the Silmarils are no longer in his possession. None shall defend him from Fëanor, and Fëanor's kin.

( bonus DLC: the sons of Fëanor could prevent more murders by taking back the Silmarils )

#the silmarillion #tolkien's legendarium #feanor #house of feanor #oath of feanor #melkor #morgoth #valar #finwe #silmarillion #silmarillion meta #✵ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʟᴅᴇʀ ᴅᴀyꜱ — insight

[valacirya]

would love any thoughts you had on Thingol :D I think I might be of a similar opinion as you - I prefer to find him a sympathetic character who ruled well for most of his life! And his dynamic with Melian is absolutely fascinating.

Oh absolutely!! Of course the guy made some bad decisions, but who didn't? At least his bad decisions weren't mass murder or kidnapping. The Quenya ban was the least harsh response and not even that effective; he could have rightfully demanded retribution (in fact, the Silmaril could definitely be considered weregild for the kinslaying). And Thingol's reaction when Angrod tells him everything is extremely sensible and restrained:

"But Thingol was long silent ere he spoke. ‘Go now!’ he said. ‘For my heart is hot within me. Later you may return, if you will; for I will not shut my doors forever against you, my kindred, that were ensnared in an evil that you did not aid. With Fingolfin and his people also I will keep friendship, for they have bitterly atoned for such ill as they did. And in our hatred of the Power that wrought all this woe our griefs shall be lost."

That is the most diplomatic and merciful answer possible. Nirnaeth might have been petty, sure, but remember that he was already ensnared by the Oath at that point, and C&C had openly vowed to kill him and his people; plus, he doesn't stop Beleg and Mablung from joining. Neglecting the Northern Sindar was wrong, period, but then he welcomes the Laiquendi and gives aid to the Haladin. He's an asshole to Beren but repents of that, and adores Turin. Like, Thingol is one of the few characters who is shown to learn from his mistakes and change. He was loved by his people; Celeborn and Thranduil remained loyal to his memory centuries after his death. Finrod was close to and respected him. Elrond preferred to claim descent from him rather than the Noldor. Like, he wasn't perfect and made some super shitty choices, but he faced the consequences of his actions and he was a good person and a great king. Also, I think fandom should keep this quote in mind:

"In all ways Morgoth sought most to cast an evil light on those things that Thingol and Melian had done, for he hated them, and feared them."

And yes, his dynamic with Melian is really interesting and probably the most equal one in terms of gender in the entire legendarium. But also, I love thinking about how Melian is an Ainu, and the Ainur absolutely cannot constrain or force the Children. So Melian really can't do anything when Thingol starts to ignore her advice; all she can do is watch the fallout as her husband joins the Noldor in becoming a lesson to others about what happens when you don't listen to the Powers of Arda.

#thingol

[somelotrnerd]

Morgoth: The First Dark Lord: Part 2

Map of Beleriand

Ring of Barahir

After his return to Middle-earth, he is often referred to as Morgoth Bauglir. Bauglir is a Sindarin name meaning “the Constrainer.”

He sets his sights on the Elves that didn’t make the journey to Valinor. The Sindar, under King Thingol, live in Doriath. Círdan and the Teleri live at Falas, and Denethor and the Nandor live in Ossiriand.

Morgoth moves against these Elves in YT 1497, sending his army of Orcs to surround Thingol in Doriath. Thingol manages to contact Denethor, who comes to their aid. The Orcs of Morgoth, caught between the two armies of Elves are defeated. As the Orcs flee north, they are unexpectedly routed by the Dwarves of Mount Dolmed. The Orcs on the western front continue to besiege Círdan’s Elves at the Havens of Falas for the following few months, until the coming of the Ñoldor would draw them away. 

Speaking of the Ñoldor - with the world in darkness, Fëanor leads the Ñoldor to rebel against the Valar. Many of those following Fëanor take part in the Kinslaying, in which many Teleri are killed so that Fëanor may claim their ships. They sail east to Beleriand, landing at Losgar. When Fëanor burns the ships, it not only signals to Fingolfin that he and the rest of the Ñoldor are now stranded in Aman, but also draws the attention of Morgoth. In a preemptive strike, he sends forth a force of Orcs and Werewolves which passes through the Ered Wethrin, or “Shadowy Mountains,” and attacks the Elves. Though the Orcs greatly outnumber the Ñoldor, the Elves possess great power within them thanks to the Light of Valinor. They defeat Morgoth’s force. The Orcs retreat across the plain of Ard-galen and back toward Angband.

At this time, the Orcs that had besieged Círdan come north to aid their allies. However, they are pushed back to the Fen of Serech. In total, very few Orcs survive the 10-day battle. Fëanor pursues this small group to Dor Daedeloth, the Land of the Shadow of Horror.

There, the Balrogs come out from Thangorodrim. Fëanor fights valiantly against the demons of Morgoth, but is separated from his sons and is fatally wounded by Gothmog, the Lord of Balrogs. The armies of his sons reach him just in time to drive off the Balrogs, but Morgoth’s enemy would die of his wounds soon after. This conflict would come to be known as the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, the “Battle under Stars,” as it takes place prior to the creation of the Sun and Moon. 

With his father dead, Maedhros is now the High King of the Ñoldor. Morgoth sends an offer of peace to Maedhros, even saying he will surrender a Silmaril. However, Maedhros does not trust the Dark Lord and brings a force with him to the meeting. Morgoth sends an even greater force and captures Maedhros, the sole survivor of his group. Morgoth tells the Ñoldor to leave Beleriand and forsake their war against him. However, the Sons of Fëanor are bound to their oath to make war on anyone who should withhold the Silmarils from them. Morgoth hangs Maedhros upon a precipice of Thangorodrim by the wrist of his right hand; there he would hang for the next thirty years. 

The rest of the Ñoldor arrive around the time the Sun and Moon are created by the Valar, making this Year 1 of the First Age (FA) of Middle-earth. This group is led by Fëanor’s half brother, and Galadriel’s uncle - Fingolfin, who would become Morgoth’s next challenger. In Year 5 FA, Fingolfin’s son, Fingon - with the help of Thorondor, the Lord of the Great Eagles - rescues Maedhros from Thangorodrim. Maedhros renounces his claim to the kingship of the Ñoldor and Fingolfin is made the new High King.

Over the coming years, Morgoth’s spies believe that, as the Elves are creating their settlements, they aren’t prepared for military conflict. Morgoth sends out an army of Orcs to attack. The main host attacks Dorthonion, while smaller groups go through Maglor’s Gap and the Pass of Sirion. The Ñoldor, however, were anything but unprepared. While the Orcs in the east and west are destroyed by smaller Elven forces, Fingolfin in the west and Maedhros in the east strike back at the main host of the invading Orc army. Most of Morgoth’s force is defeated there in Dorthonion, with a small remnant fleeing toward Angband. The Elves chase them down and there, within the sight of Thangorodrim itself, the Ñoldor slay the remaining Orcs. This battle is known as the Dagor Aglareb, the “Glorious Battle,” as it is a huge victory for the Elves. 

The Ñoldor set as much of a border around Morgoth’s land as possible, thus beginning the 400-year Siege of Angband. During this time, Morgoth comes to realize Orcs alone will not defeat the Ñoldor, so he devises new creatures of evil - the Dragons. The first of these is Glaurung, who emerges without Morgoth’s permission in 260 FA. Despite an initial success, the young Dragon is humbled by the Elven archers and forced to flee back to Angband. Nearly 200 years later, however, as Glaurung is grown to his full might, Morgoth sends forth great rivers of fire over Ard-galen, burning many Elves stationed throughout the land. As the Elves are in disarray, Glaurung leads a force of Balrogs and an army of Orcs, killing all in their sight.

This battle can be looked at on two fronts, the east and the west. In the west, Galadriel’s brothers Angrod and Aegnor are killed fighting for their home realm of Dorthonion. Finrod, her last remaining sibling and Lord of Nargothrond, would have been killed as he is surrounded at the Fen of Serech, but a group of Men, lead by Barahir - a lord of the House of Beor - comes to their aid. Finrod would later give him a ring as a token of everlasting friendship between their families - the Ring of Barahir, which would one day pass to Aragorn. In the end, the Elves and Men are able to keep the western realms of Hithlum safe.

In the east, things do not go so well. The battle, known as the Dagor Bragollach, the “Battle of Sudden Flame,” not only cost the many lives of Elves and Men, but it also breaks the Siege of Angband, and allows Morgoth’s forces to move freely throughout the north of Beleriand. Orcs take control of the lands of Lothlann, including the important positions of Maglor’s Gap, and Mount Rerir. Glaurung burns the lands between the arms of Gelion, and the Thargelion and Lake Helevorn are ravaged by Morgoth’s forces. With many refugees fleeing to places like Doriath and Hithlum, the Elves abandon their realm of Dorthonion, which becomes known as Taur-nu-Fuin, “Forest under Nightshade.”

After a year of small battles, the High King Fingolfin in Hithlum gets word of the devastation the war has wrought in Dorthonion and Lothlann. Seeing what he believes could be the utter ruin of the Ñoldor, he rides in anger across the scorched land of Anfaughlith, coming to the very door of Angband to confront Morgoth. 

“Thus he came alone to Angband’s gates, and he sounded his horn, and smote once more upon the brazen doors, and challenged Morgoth to come forth to single combat. And Morgoth came. 

That was the last time in those wars that he passed the doors of his stronghold, and it is said that he took not the challenge willingly; for… alone of the Valar he knew fear. But he could not now deny the challenge before the face of his captains; for… Fingolfin named Morgoth craven… Therefore Morgoth… issued forth clad in black armour; and he stood before the King like a tower, iron-crowned, and his vast shield, sable unblazoned, cast a shadow over him like a stormcloud. But Fingolfin gleamed beneath it as a star; for his mail was overlaid with silver, and his blue shield was set with crystals; and he drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice. 

Then Morgoth hurled aloft Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld, and swung it down like a bolt of thunder. But Fingolfin sprang aside, and Grond rent a mighty pit in the earth… Many times Morgoth essayed to smite him, and each time Fingolfin leaped away…; and he wounded Morgoth with seven wounds, and seven times Morgoth gave a cry of anguish, whereat the hosts of Angband fell upon their faces in dismay, and the cries echoed in the Northlands.  But at the last the King grew weary, and Morgoth bore down his shield upon him. Thrice he was crushed to his knees, and thrice arose again and bore up his broken shield and stricken helm. But the earth was all… pitted about him, and he stumbled and fell backward before the feet of Morgoth; and Morgoth set his left foot upon his neck… Yet with his last and desperate stroke Fingolfin hewed the foot with Ringil, and the blood gushed forth black and smoking and filled the pits of Grond.” - The Silmarillion, "Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"

As he wounds the Dark Lord, Fingolfin dies. While he is victorious, Morgoth would not escape this battle unscathed. As he breaks the body of Fingolfin, he intends to feed it to his Wolves. However, in that moment, Thorondor, the Lord of the Great Eagles, flies in and claws the face of Morgoth. He takes the body of Fingolfin, and sets it upon a mountain top overlooking the hidden city of Gondolin. King Turgon learns of his father’s deeds from the Great Eagle and builds a cairn over Fingolfin. Morgoth is scarred from Thorondor’s attack and forever after bears a limp from the wound of Fingolfin’s blade.

Ten years later, 466 FA, two others would come to Angband - Beren and Lúthien. When Beren, a Man, and Lúthien, an Elf, wish to be married, Lúthien’s father, King Thingol of Doriath, declares that Beren may only have his daughter’s hand if Beren succeeds in reclaiming a Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown. Beren embarks on a mission to do just that and after being rescued from the dungeons of Sauron in Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the “Isle of Werewolves,” by Lúthien and Huan the Hound, the three make their way to Angband, disguised by the power of Lúthien. 

They enter the very throne room of Morgoth, and as the Dark Lord is about to order them seized - Lúthien weaves a spell and begins to dance. The spell puts Morgoth and his entire court into a deep sleep. Beren approaches Morgoth. Using his knife, he cuts a Silmaril from the Iron Crown. He decides to retrieve all three Silmarils, but as he is cutting a second loose, the knife breaks and a shard strikes Morgoth in the face. As the court begins to stir, Beren and Lúthien flee for their lives. This particular Silmaril is never brought back to Morgoth, though it would cause further conflict with the Dark Lord - and within the forces of his enemies. It is upon hearing the deeds of Beren and Lúthien - that two alone could successfully retrieve a Silmaril from Angband - that moves Maedhros, in 468 FA, to create an alliance to attack Morgoth. 

In 469 FA, Morgoth sends forth a wind from Angband. It comes to the lands that border Anfaughlith, in particular the lands to the west, like Dor-lómin. This plague, known as the Evil Breath, particularly affects the young; and many die from it - including Lalaith, the 3-year old daughter of Húrin, the Lord of Dor-lómin. The Men of Dor-lómin would join many others in the Union of Maedhros and, in 472 FA, fight in what would be one of the most important conflicts of the First Age - the Nírnaeth Arnoediad - the “Battle of Unnumbered Tears.”

The Union of Maedhros consists of two armies - one in the west, and one in the east. In the west, Fingon leads the Ñoldor of Hithlum, Húrin and Huor lead the Edain of Dor-lómin, Haldir (the Man, not the Elf of the Third Age) leads the Edain of Brethil, Gwindor leads the Elves of Nargothrond, and there are also a few scattered Elves from Falas and Doriath - including Mablung and Beleg Strongbow.

In the east, Maedhros commands his Elven host. They are joined by Azaghâl and the Dwarves of Belegost. They also have two groups of Men with them, who had recently relocated to Beleriand after the Dagor Bragollach - Men under the command of their leaders Bór and Uldor - Men known as the Easterlings.

The plan is simple. The forces of the east would march into Anfaughlith. Their hope is that Morgoth would respond by sending his armies to meet them. The western host would remain hidden in the woods and valleys east of the Ered Wethrin. They are to await a signal. A great beacon in Dorthonion would fire, at which point the western host would charge, and they would crush the forces of Morgoth as if caught between hammer and anvil.

As Maedhros leads his force into Anfaughlith, a dark cloud gathers around Thangorodrim. Morgoth has accepted the challenge. As the western host waits, they are joined unexpectedly by a host of 10,000 Elves, led by Turgon, brother of Fingon and King of the hidden city of Gondolin. Their might greatly increased, the outlook is promising for the Union of Maedhros. 

However, in that very hour, Morgoth implements his plan. A great host issues from Angband to meet Maedhros, but at the same time, a smaller host is sent to the West with the task of provoking the western army. Fingon orders his troops to hold until the Orcs attempt to attack the hills on which they stand. At this point, the Orcs bring forth Gelmir, the brother of Gwindor. Having been blinded already, his arms and legs are hewn from his body and he is left to die of his wounds. Filled with rage, Gwindor and his soldiers charge at the Orcs. Fingon’s force follows and they quickly defeat the smaller host and strike upon the very gates of Angband. In this moment, Morgoth once again knows fear, shaking upon his throne as Gwindor’s Elves pound on his gates and kill his guards. 

However, the Dark Lord’s trap was now sprung. Thousands of Orcs erupt from hidden tunnels and gates around Angband, killing the entire force, with the exception of Gwindor, who is captured. Fingon’s host is driven back from the walls. Turgon, who had held back from the reckless charge of Gwindor, drives into the Orc host and breaks their lines, meeting with the host of Fingon. Finally, Maedhros arrives at what is now the main concentration of the battle. However, before he can join with Fingon and Turgon, Morgoth unleashes the last of his strength. All of Angband is emptied as Wolves, Balrogs, and Dragons join the fray. 

Though daunting, it is said that at this moment, the battle could still have been won, but for Morgoth’s secret weapon. Uldor and his group of Easterlings turn against Maedhros. While the Easterlings under Bór would remain faithful to the Elves, the damage has been done. With assault coming from three sides, the eastern host is scattered. The valiant Dwarves of Belegost hold off Glaurung, allowing the Sons of Fëanor to escape into Ossiriand. As for the Dwarves - in their iron masks - fight the Dragon and his fire, Azaghâl is trampled by Glaurung. The dying king stabs the Dragon in the stomach with a dagger and Glaurung and many others flee. 

The western host fares no better. Gothmog, the Lord of Balrogs, makes his way to Fingon and kills him in single combat. Seeing the battle is lost, Húrin begs Turgon to retreat back to Gondolin. With Fingon dead, he knows Turgon is the last of the House of Fingolfin. If the land of Gondolin could remain hidden, and the son of Fingolfin who had maimed him survived, Morgoth would still know fear. 

Húrin and Huor and the Men of Dor-lómin form a living wall across the Fen of Serech, giving time for Turgon to escape with what remains of the Elves of Gondolin, and those who follow his brother. Nearly every single Man is killed. Huor is killed when shot in the eye with an arrow, and Húrin fights to the very last of his strength. As Morgoth had ordered for him to be taken alive, Húrin continues fighting until his axe withers away. In total, he kills at least 70 Orcs and Trolls before being pinned under the corpses of his foes. 

The Orcs make a pile of bodies on the plains of Anfaughlith of the Men and Elves that were killed. The mound is so large it could be seen from a great distance. Thereafter, grass grows on that hill alone in all the desolation of Anfaughlith and it is known as the Haudh-en-Nirnaeth, the “Hill of Tears.”

The Nírnaeth Arnoediad is a devastating loss for the Elves, Men and Dwarves of Middle-earth. In the years and decades to come, it will be often referred to with great sadness, acknowledging this as the moment when Morgoth assumes his control of the entire North of Beleriand. Soon, he will press his advantage further, but first, he will lay a curse upon his prized captive, Húrin, that will shape the world for years to come. 

[hsboss]

MAKING A CLEAR DIFFERENCE

Speech Presented by Governor Alex Otti to the Abia State House of Assembly on the Occasion of the Presentation of the Draft of the 2024 State Budget on December 12, 2023 at the House of Assembly Complex, Umuahia

Protocol

I stand before you, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, fellow Abians, friends and well-wishers with a great sense of responsibility, grateful for the sacred honour to present the 2024 budget proposal to this Honourable Assembly and offer our people at home and in the diaspora, an insight into our holistic plans and programmes for the rebuilding and restoration of our advantages as a state, in ways that stimulate the economy, create jobs for our teeming youth population and set us on a new development trajectory, in line with the promises that brought us to power.

Twelve months ago, we were in your communities and clans selling our ideas for a New Abia to the electorates, making a strong case that we must take a new direction in order to fulfil the inherent promise of this great land. Three months later, precisely on March 18, 2023, you elected us to lead the state. The message of our electoral victory was direct: the people want a clear break from the past. They want a New Abia, a state where government works in service of the common people, and not just the privileged few.

We took office on May 29 this year with a firm resolve to commit everything at our disposal to the service of our great state. I consider the opportunity to serve our people at this time the greatest honour of my life.

It would be proper at this point to commend the leadership and members of the State House of Assembly for the smooth and harmonious relationship that exists between the executive and legislative arms of government. The judiciary in the state has also been very outstanding in the very challenging work of setting the tone for the New Abia, a land where justice would be the first condition of humanity. The understanding and respect that underpin our relationship as different arms of government have been very central to the modest progress that has been recorded across critical sectors in the last 6 months.

While it is true that we hit the ground running from the very minute the oath of office was administered, setting out the appropriate institutional frameworks for immediate evacuation of the mountains of refuse that had taken over the streets of our major cities, amongst other key deliverables, we were also not unmindful of the fact that the budgetary foundation of the government for the 2023 fiscal year did not come from us. We were therefore constrained in so many ways, even when we tried as much as the law allowed to redirect government expenditures to areas of utmost priorities to meet the immediate demands of responsible governance.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, we are fulfilled to announce that several roads that were previously impassable, including MCC by Old Express, Umuimo and Udeagbala roads in Aba have been completely reconstructed and opened for public use. To mark our first 100 days in office, we rehabilitated and commissioned Cemetery Phase 1, Shallom and Emelogu Roads, all in Aba.

In October, we made good our promise, shortly after our electoral victory, to contract a reputable civil engineering company for the rehabilitation of the long- abandoned Port Harcourt Road in Aba. Mr Speaker, Honourable Members and fellow Abians, it gives me great joy to report that for weeks now, Julius Berger, one of the biggest names in road construction and civil engineering projects have been at work on Port Harcourt Road, deploying the most sophisticated equipment and engineering professionals to the job because we made it clear that in the New Abia, we either get the best or nothing.

With a completion timeline of not more than 18 months, our expectation is that by the beginning of 2025, we shall see a boom in economic activities along that corridor, with many of the businesses that left years ago returning, in addition to several new ones.

In Umuahia, we are speedily completing the Ossah- Abia Tower/Okpara Square road reconstruction and expansion project for smooth flow of traffic into the capital city. It is our firm belief that the major entry points to the capital city should make a statement. It is in the light of this that work would soon start from the boundary in Onuimo to the Abia Tower. This is in addition to several palliatives works going on in most parts of the city to improve intra-city transportation, as well as support business activities along important economic corridors.

Beyond our modest progress in the restoration of urban road infrastructure, we are also working in several communities across the state to enable the seamless movement of our people and transportation of agro-commodities from the rural to the urban centres and improve travel experience from one part of the state to another. With the coming of the new mayors, we hope to see even greater progress in the rehabilitation of rural roads.

We are very particular about road construction because of our understanding that roads are major economic enablers, aiding trade and commerce, supporting agriculture as well as boosting the appeal of our major cities to both residents and investors.

Our ambition has been constrained by the very limited resources at our disposal but we have been very innovative in our approach to dealing with the challenges that confront us. To make up for the shortfalls in resources, we returned the core engineering team of the State Ministry of Works to the field, under the Direct Labour Agency, creating an environment that encourages them to deploy their professional expertise more practically and I can tell you that the results have been fantastic.

In addition to expanding the network of motorable roads in the state, we have also taken special interest in healthcare delivery services and education. In health, we have successfully renovated the long-abandoned Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostics Centre, the Eye Clinic at the facility can now compete favourably with the best anywhere in the country and across the state, gradual renovation and rehabilitation works are taking place across the general hospitals.

Furthermore, access to healthcare in the state has improved especially with the free medical services initiative of the administration which will run until the end of the year in all public healthcare facilities. Thousands of Abians in rural and urban communities have benefited from this project which covers diagnostics and laboratory services, counselling and supply of drugs.

In the education sector, we are also making tremendous improvements in the teaching and learning environment with strategic investments in the renovation of schools across the 17 LGAs of the state. We are also working hard to return professionalism to the teaching profession through regular training and retraining programmes. We are determined to improve the competences of our teachers in tune with the demands of the modern world.

For our administration, the focus is to turn the schools into a fit-for-purpose environment for the training of world champions, young men and women with the skills to compete with their peers from all parts of the world.

We are working to phase out rote learning and over the next few years, we shall migrate to new learning platforms and methods that are designed to not just make learning more effective, but also prepare the pupils and students for the realities of the world they are living in.

In the education and health sectors, the morale of the personnel has been boosted with regular payment of salaries and other entitlements. Our teachers and health workers, like their counterparts in other sectors, now know when to expect their salaries and can plan accordingly. Not for once have they been disappointed in the last 6 months.

Umu nne m Ndi Abia, we have also made great strides in security through proper support to the security agencies including procurement of operational vehicles and other hardware necessary for effective security operations in all parts of the state, including prompt response in periods of emergencies.

We launched Operation Crush in August this year to deal with the menace of violent crimes. I am glad to report that our determination to make the state safe for residents and investors has seen us diminish the capacity of the criminals to strike in any part of the state. Although we still have pockets of challenges in a few places, the verdict is that Abia is now one of the safest places to live and do business.

Our Light UP Abia has seen us invest extensively in the procurement and installation of solar-energy powered lights for major streets in our urban centres. We have since extended the project to LGA headquarters across the state and the logic is simple: in addition to extending business hours for our entrepreneurs, proper street lighting also aids security as no criminal likes to operate under the light.

I promised on my inauguration that our government shall work to expand the frontiers of opportunities for our youth population. I am glad to report that in the last 3 months, we have, through the ministries of digital economy and SMEs, budget and planning and several other organs of the executive arm of government pioneered initiatives that are structured to improve the skills of our youths, especially their ICT skills, to enable them profit from the boundless opportunities of the new global economic system.

Working in conjunction with major partners including global tech giants, the state has successfully trained thousands of youths in various ICT skills to support their readiness for the global job market.

We are desirous to see a boom in the ICT space in the state and this explains why we have created a robust system that exposes our young people to the abundance of opportunities in the sector for gainful employment and successful entrepreneurship. The target is to steer our young people away from the temptations of dishonest living and offer them a platform to apply themselves to dignifying ventures.

Across communities, we have expanded the structure of our partnership programmes with multilateral organisations to promote transparency and accommodate more vulnerable households in the light of the continuing shocks of the post-COVID-19 pandemic and the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government. We have committedly supported as many vulnerable households and individuals as our resources can carry in pursuance of the administration’s social support system aimed at reducing extreme poverty which continues to assault the dignity of our people in several communities.

Today’s budget presentation is therefore significant in many ways; first it is the first full year budget by our government. We have deliberately structured the key items in the budget to reflect the priorities of the administration on very important frontiers especially road infrastructure, human capital development, health and human services, social support initiatives, digitalisation of the service delivery mechanisms of the government for efficiency amongst other objectives which are strategically tailored towards opening up the economy to local and global investors.

Our goal is to consolidate on the modest gains made in the 2023 budget cycle, especially in the last six months where our strategic investments in public infrastructure and social services, in addition to consistently meeting our obligations to civil servants and pensioners have combined to enable us keep the economy afloat in what has been a very difficult season as a result of certain realities that are not of our making, especially the removal of fuel subsidy, massive depreciation of the Naira and the many other economic headwinds the country is grappling with.

As Mr Speaker and Honourable Members of this House are also aware, we have seen a steep rise in inflation which has no doubt distorted economic plans and projections made by businesses, governments and households at the beginning of the year. Adjusting to this sharp rise in prices of goods and services has been very demanding especially for a new government with immense responsibilities on its shoulders, working with a budget made by its predecessor on the basis of assumptions that no longer hold.

On the basis of facts available to my office, we have done quite well in the implementation of the 2023 budget of N160.5 billion and the projection is that we would go well past the 60% budget implementation mark achieved in 2022. We have remained transparent and open in the presentation of our budget performance report and this has helped in giving the citizens a good understanding of how public resources are being used. The target is to do better in 2024 by making the most of the feedback we got from the public over the last two quarters.

The 2024 budget proposal which we christened the “Budget of New Beginning” targets the expansion of our public infrastructure in line with our new development targets, scaling up access and quality service delivery in the social sector, with special focus on education and health where we are proposing to commit more than 20% and 15% of the aggregate budget spending respectively.

The State is proposing a total expenditure of Five Hundred and Sixty-Seven Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Million, Ninety-Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy-Two Naira (N567, 240, 095, 972. 00) in the 2024 fiscal year.

The above figure, in nominal terms, represents more than N400 billion rise from the 2023 estimate of N160.5 billion although when adjusted for inflation and fall in the value of the naira, the reality becomes starkly different.

The key distinction in the 2024 budget estimate, however, is in the direction of spending. While the 2023 projection allocated 53% of the entire budget for capital expenditure, our target in the 2024 fiscal year is to spend 84% of the total expenditure on capital projects and commit 16% to recurrent expenditure, as against 47% in the 2023 estimates.

Of the proposed figure, government’s estimated total revenue is N166,077,717,058 including earnings from our IGR channels, Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), grants from multilateral organisations and income from other revenue sources that will be available to the state government over the course of the accounting year.

We plan to finance the deficit of N401, 162, 378, 914 partly by new borrowings estimated at N385, 271, 027, 214. 50% of this borrowing will be sourced externally, whilst the balance will be procured domestically.

It must at this point be stated that all borrowing in the 2024 fiscal year would be committed strictly to capital development projects with direct impact on the economy of the state, especially roads, schools and medical facilities. The projection is that the impact of these projects on the general economy in the medium to long term would generate the sufficient returns that would enable the state meet its obligation to the creditors smoothly and ultimately pay off the loans in due course.

The assurance I want to give Mr Speaker, Honourable members and to every Abian is that under my watch, not a dime shall be borrowed to finance recurrent expenditure. All borrowing will be negotiated on terms that are favourable to the state.

Rebuilding the state’s public infrastructure requires the sort of targeted financing we cannot immediately access within the state so there is the need to borrow to fund the projects that would kick-start the economy and make us competitive on a global scale.

More importantly, the citizens and other stakeholders would have the opportunity to monitor how the funds are being spent and the impact of the projects on their communities, from inception to completion. This is very important to guarantee transparency and as a listening government, your inputs would always be very important in our decisions.

In the 2024 fiscal year, the state proposes to commit 44.76% of the budget on the economic sector with the larger chunk of the resources going into works, (16.97%), land and housing (9.9%), agriculture (5.12%), and finance, (5.23%).

We shall be committing major resources in the 2024 financial year to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of some of the most important roads along the major economic corridors of the state. The budget has provided for completion of some of the projects we started in 2023 including Port Harcourt Road Aba, Ossah Road, Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Abariba-Ohafia Road, Ozuabam-Ndi Okereke- Arochukwu Road, the dualisation of Umuikaa-Umuene-Omoba Road, Dualisation of Owerrinta-Umuikaa Road, Nunya-Eluama-Isuikwuato Road, Onuimo-Abia Tower Road amongst others as well as the commencement of new road projects in all parts of the state.

For housing, the state shall be partnering with reputable private developers to develop new mass housing projects in our major urban locations. We are not just looking to erect blocks of flats; our target is to develop sophisticated urban locations that answer to the housing needs of our upwardly mobile youth population, young families and diaspora population.

In agriculture, we are proposing to designate Bende, Ukwa and Umunneochi LGAs as Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ). Our SAPZs will be structured to serve as major hubs for the production, aggregation, processing and distribution of major agro-commodities produced in these areas for improved value in the local and international markets.

The government proposes to commission Site-dedicated infrastructure in each of the zones including gas-solar powered energy plants, quality road infrastructure, optic fibre, water treatment facilities and ancillary support structures to drive the activities along these agro corridors.

In the same vein, 40.07% of the total budget is proposed to be committed to the social sector with the bulk of the resources going into education (20%), healthcare (15.04%), youth and sport development, (3.17%).

Items proposed in the social sector include the renovation of 300 public primary and secondary schools across the 17 LGAs of the state, infrastructure upgrade at the State College of Education, the retooling of 3 technical schools across the 3 senatorial districts, the procurement and installation of world class modern health facilities at 3 general hospitals across the 3 senatorial districts of the state, the construction of a standard medical village to stem the tide of medical tourism, the construction of the Nsulu Sports and Entertainment Complex, construction of community sports hubs in all the 17 LGAs of the state, construction of digital skills and innovation centres across the 3 senatorial districts and so much more.

Our intent is clear: we are prioritising the projects that have direct impact on the economic and social life of the citizenry in line with our commitment to using the levers of government to serve the needs of the common people.

Mr Speaker, I want to specially appreciate this Honorable House for the speedy passage of the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) Bill. I am also glad to announce that I have signed the bill into law and going forward, GADA will serve as the administrative vehicle to drive the social and economic development of Aba in line with my campaign promise to give priority attention to the rapid development of Aba and ultimately return it to its glory days. There has never been any doubt about what we intend to do in Aba and I am expectant that with the setting up of GADA as a legal administrative structure, developments in Aba will be better streamlined as we find in other major cities across the world.

As I promised at a media briefing earlier in the month, we shall be implementing a pay rise for our civil servants to reflect the present economic realities in the country. This shall be implemented in the New Year and provision for that has been made in the 2024 budget. The government will continue to prioritise the welfare of its employees even as we expect to see greater commitment from our civil servants who are major stakeholders in the implementation of our governance agenda.

We shall continue to support the conventional security establishments to improve the security of life and property in all parts of the state. Let me repeat my earlier warning that criminality in whatever guise shall have no place in the New Abia. We are open for business and any threat to this goal shall be met with the full weight of the law.

We understand the economic realities in the country and shall continue to do everything in our powers to support individuals seeking to make an honest living through hard work in legitimate endeavours. The government is already making arrangements to revive as many of our moribund industries as available resources and economic reasoning permit.

We are currently in discussions with those with stakes in these companies to see how we can restructure the existing agreements and have the establishments come back on stream because we are a pro-business government, committed to actively supporting the private sector to massively create jobs for our people.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members and Ndi Abia, I invite us all to look to the future with great optimism. We are coming from a very difficult place but none of the difficulties of the past can diminish the potentials of this great land. A new beginning awaits us and I request everyone to come on board as we work to rebuild and restore the glory of our fatherland.

As I lay this bill before this Honourable House, may I reassure you Mr Speaker and the Honourable members that you will get all the necessary cooperation from my team as Abians look to the speedy and diligent consideration of the 2024 budget proposal.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable members of the house, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, thank you for listening and may our good God continue to bless you all.

- Dr Alex C. Otti, OFR.

[deathlessathanasia]

“In trying to define Styx's purpose in the poem, Solmsen and West have suggested that she was invented for aetiological purposes, reasoning that Hesiod had first to explain Styx's power over the other gods, which is attested in Homer, and also, as mentioned above, had to give a mother to Zeus' strongest companions along with the reason they remained at his side (West 1966: 272,383n; Solmsen 1949: 32-34). Even though this aetiological explanation does apply to the first Styx passage, it does not adequately explain Hesiod's re-introduction of Styx several hundred lines later in the poem nor does it account for the extended biographical information for what might appear at first to be a minor goddess. Hesiod not only gives Styx's genealogy as the daughter of Ocean and mother of four important universal forces, but also expounds on where she lives (in a quadrant of Tartarus, Connecting it directly to the other realms), why she joins Zeus as one of his first supporters (she lacked honors under Kronos' rule), and how she would relate to the Olympian gods once Zeus' power was Consolidated (as their binding oath). The only other non-Olympian goddess who receives such an extended description is Hekate (Th. 411-452).

In light of this discussion and the generally accepted assumption that the telos of the Theogony is Zeus' rise to power, it is important to consider closely why Hesiod invents a new mythical tradition and privilèges Styx to such a large degree, essentially giving her dominion over all deities through a power which binds otherwise omnipotent beings. Blickman, following the lead of Cornford, has convincingly argued that Styx must be viewed as a central figure in Hesiod's narrative because she adds an element to Zeus' hold on power which was lacking in his predecessors' régimes, namely, that he keeps his promises to all the gods, guaranteeing themis (Blickman 1987: 348; Cornford 1971: 222). Blickman writes that "the protection of τιμαί is what differentiates his regime from that of Kronos" and that Zeus' fulfillment of his promise to give honors to any god who supports him against Kronos' allies is the basis for Zeus' legitimate rule (Blickman 1987: 348-350). However, Styx's importance goes beyond demonstrating that the oath is the basis of Zeus' form of justice. Whereas Blickman and others who have written about Styx look chiefly to her earlier passage to argue that she represents the new moral order of Zeus' justice, I would like to re-focus attention on the placement of Styx in the poem and on the relationship between her physical and moral attributes. Her nature as a stream, a natural boundary, paired with her new-found honors, which constrain others, define the geographical and societal structures which create a stabilized universe.

Several scholars have argued that Zeus' incorporation of three diffrent Titan goddesses présents the range of his political acumen and also his recognition of the power of female fertility (Clay 2003: 22; Sussman 1978: 67). He acquires Styx's loyalty by an exchange of gifts in which he gains the force he needs via her children (Th. 383-403), then Hekate's support by making her his helpmate (Th. 404-452), and finally Métis' wisdom by marrying and then consuming her (Th. 886-900). Hesiod suggests that Zeus needed the products of these goddesses to match the Titans' might and maintain his power indefinitely. At the same time, the invention of the oath concept and assignment of it to Styx were the factors which ensured the Olympians' initial victory and the subsequent permanence of Zeus' rule by creating a template for societal interaction and the rule of law. Styx, therefore, provides the two necessary elements which stabilize his rule: 1) the initial promises of allegiance by the gods, which were sanctified by the presence of the oath goddess, and 2) the establishment of an ongoing system of oaths. With Styx, the universe becomes stable because she exists as a force which binds the most powerful beings (including Zeus himself) through explicitly understood agreement and places boundaries on behaviors that might lead back to the chaotic upheavals of the pre-Zeus cosmos.”

 - THE GODDESS STYX AND THE MAPPING OF WORLD ORDER IN HESIOD'S "THEOGONY" by Suzanne Lye

#styx #hesiod #the theogony #zeus #quotes #excerpts

[middle-earth-mythopoeia]

The Silmarils and the swan-ships

When Fëanor refuses to relinquish the Silmarils to Yavanna, he says, ‘This thing I will not do of free will. But if the Valar will constrain me, then shall I know indeed that Melkor is of their kindred.’ Part of the irony is that neither Fëanor nor the Valar know that the Silmarils have already been stolen by Melkor—but even worse, Fëanor later does to the Teleri exactly what he feared the Valar would do to him: take his most prized possessions from him by force and destroy them. Fëanor says of the Silmarils, ‘never again shall I make their like,’ and Olwë says of the swan-ships, ‘these are to us as are the gems of the Noldor: the work of our hearts, whose like we shall not make again.’ Fëanor stole, and destroyed, their equivalent of the Silmarils!

Breaking the Silmarils would have at least achieved something good—rekindling the Two Trees before it was too late—which makes it significant that, despite the urgency of saving the Trees, the Valar did not intend to take the Silmarils by force. Whereas Fëanor did take the ships by force, after Olwë refused to lend them to him, and the Noldor killed many of the Teleri in the process. Finally, burning the ships was an act of cruel and wanton destruction.

And so Fëanor is as much a villain to the Teleri as Morgoth is to the Noldor. The slaughter of the Teleri in the First Kinslaying parallels the murders that Melkor committed during the Darkening of Valinor, as the theft of the ships parallels the theft of the Silmarils. Fëanor of course hated Morgoth; he gave him the very name. But Fëanor not only believed Morgoth’s lies, and repeated those lies, his actions also ended up echoing those of his enemy.

When Melkor killed the Two Trees, ‘their sap poured forth as it were their blood, and was spilled upon the ground.’ His slaying of Finwë ‘spilled the first blood in the Blessed Realm.’ Similar wording appears in the Doom of Mandos: ‘Ye have spilled the blood of your kindred unrighteously...’ and in the Lays of Beleriand: ‘the oath unbreakable; blood thereafter / it spilled like a sea...’

In addition, the word ‘rape’ is used to describe both the theft of the Silmarils and of the swan-ships, and it appears nowhere else in the Silmarillion but these two instances. When Fëanor gave his speech to the Noldor in Tirion, ‘he was distraught with grief for the slaying of his father, and with anguish for the rape of the Silmarils.’ In the War of Wrath few of the Teleri were willing to fight alongside the Noldor, ‘for they remembered the slaying at the Swan-haven, and the rape of their ships.’

I will never be over it! The tragic irony! The narrative symmetry of it all! The way Fëanor prized his own crafts above all else, but destroyed the priceless works of others. The way the murder of Finwë and the theft of the Silmarils led Fëanor to declare war on Morgoth, only to have him follow in Morgoth’s footsteps and commit the same acts of violence—not even against his enemy, but against the innocent. The way Fëanor and his sons, despite swearing the Oath in order to exact vengeance against Morgoth, end up becoming more like him.

#Silmarillion #Feanor #Olwe #First Kinslaying #Morgoth #The Burning of the Ships #my post #my writing #Feanor Morgoth parallels

[tanadrin]

It is the custom in that bleak city that when a person commits some notable deed, that his neighbors observe and comment upon, he may be brought suddenly by night before the Court of Eyes. In that land, there is no more fearsome and respected a tribunal, though they are secretive in the extreme, and their activities hidden from public view. For this Court meets only by night, in graveyards or ruins or forgotten places, its calendar governed by omens, rumors from foreign countries, and the dreams of its clerks. Its officers are not august magistrates, nor men of respectable families; rather, they are drawn from the ranks of the city's beggars, fortune-tellers, and mountebanks; its magicians, its prostitutes, its prisoners and invalids. It might deign, in a period of unusually lively business, to recruit a poor day-laborer, but only if his clothing is threadbare, and his face is haggard.

It is from the wretchedness of those who preside that the Court derives its authority, and the respect of the people. For it is commonly held in Orm that men of high station make poor judges. They have a reputation to be fearful of; wealth to be jealous of; and they may fear, in their private moments, that for justice to truly be done, their position must be in some manner (however slight) imperiled; and that being so, they will act first to preserve their own interests. But the judges of the Eyes, they say in Orm, could burn their city to ash in the pursuit of justice; and they would warm their hands by the flames.

This is their procedure: by secret reports, passed through the ranks of informants, the court determines whom it shall indict, discusses the charges, and the merited judgement, if the accused were found guilty; and they shall know nothing of the proceedings, until the preliminaries are concluded, and two white-masked bailiffs appear by the gaslight at their door. Having been thus summoned, many blanch; many fall silent; many protest their innocence; but none fail to appear. The bailiffs sent out to bring forth the accused are famed for their sternness and their ruthless pursuit of fugitives. The accused will be taken to the place appointed that night, and instantly the trial shall begin.

The charges will not be at first apparent to him. They are known to the prosecutor, and to the judge, and his attorney; and by secret methods, the attorney shall have prepared the defendant's case. He will inspect in minutest detail every aspect of the defendant's life, and lay bare before the judge all evidence which could possibly excuplate him, his public and his clandestine activities alike. He shall dig as deeply as he needs; and it is not uncommon that a defendant hears his advocate lay bare what he thought were his inmost thoughts and fears and desires during these proceedings. The prosecutor, in turn, shall present the testimony of witnesses, either by depositions taken under an oath of secrecy, or in person; and other evidence, and cross-examination shall take places, in perfect mockery of the solemnity and ceremony of the courts of other realms. For Orm has its law, however strangely it may be administered; and its body has been as thoroughly examined by the anatomists of its academies as that of other countries, its principles weighed and commented upon, and it is known throughout the city.

What, you may enquire, can possibly be the law of such courts as these? For the Court of Eyes is constrained by no legislators, nor is it accountable to any prince or lord. In the matter of the law of Orm, much can be said; but these few remarks must suffice for now. Firstly, that the Court of Eyes tries only deeds, for and against the public interest. In private disputes, which other countries call tort or civil law, a tradition of contracts, arbitration, and public assembly-courts, as is common to all the Dyrish states, is the norm; and save that the customs of Orm have diverged somewhat, and the lack of a formal legislature has made its application more dependent on lengthy and specific contracts, this portion of the law is not remarkable compared to Dyrland or Kurigalzu. But secondly: the Dyrish traditions apply only to disputes regarding property: its transfer, disposal, inheritance, damage, or destruction. Where theft is a matter for the state in Dyrland, it is a matter for civil suit in Orm; but in this respect, the laws of Orm are like the laws of Kurigalzu.

Then, it may be asked finally, what of the Other Courts? By what law can clandestine courts be ruled, except that of bloody revenge? But the customary law of these courts is of a very great age, having its origin a little in the Dyrish system of weregild and honor; but owing much more to the Ennismen who first dwelt in the rocky and remote place where Orm was built. Their laws were part equity, part haruspicy, and part madness; but from them principles were derived, which in time the people of Orm turned to spears, to drive out the corrupt kings that rules them, and to restrain the greed of their lords. For many times have the lords of Orm tried to suppress the Courts of the Eyes; they have hunted the alleys and sewers for their members, patrolled the graveyards and the limits of the city to disrupt their meetings, threatened all who abided by their decisions with death--ultimately to no avail. For in the end, each of these princelings found themselves brought before the same court's bench, held to account for their deeds.

This court prosecutes no cases involving simple property: not theft or vandalism or trespass, nor even simple fraud, for these are matters of private dispute in Orm. In its jurisdiction are acts which outrage the person only, or the people generally: assault and murder and false imprisonment; arson, when a threat to life is involved; but also cruelty to children, abuse of the poor, outrageous price-gouging or usury, abuse of power--whether public office or private--, and so on and so forth. But other acts which the court may prosecute for include surpassing generosity; assiduous labor on behalf of others, or for the public good; the saving of a life; good governance; even the prevention of war. For, as I have said, the accused is not informed of the charges laid against them when they are brought before the court; and the task of their advocate is only to prove that whatever said by the prosecution, is not true. And just as the Court of Eyes may seek to punish the wicked, it may seek to reward the good. Not often, as a rule; for there is much more wickedness to prosecute in the world than righteousness. But the people trust these rewards to be dispensed impartially, for they have no friends to enrich, nor any interests of their own to defend. And whether the accused is being prosecuted for a violation of the law, or for being an exemplary defender of it, they may have no knowledge at all, not even when the trial is concluded and they awake the next day in their own bed.

And after due deliberation, when the sentence is passed, all the city is informed, by rumor and hastily-printed broadsheet, and graffiti scrawled upon walls. Its execution is swift and sure: fines result in valuables suddenly disappearing, or accounts mysteriously vanishing; for serious offenses, a geas may be placed upon the offender, barring them from certain parts of the city, or certain professions, or forbidden them to go out of the house at certain hours or on certain days; or a penance is demanded, in the form of a public apology, or restitution being paid, or the private performance of some deed of penitence, which nevertheless will be known to the Court. In very grave cases, a choice of imprisonment or exile is offered; and where the Court's few prisons are, no one is exactly sure. Death is lawful but uncommon; and whether a sentence of death or long imprisonment has been passed is difficult to discern, unless the condemned reappear among the living some time later. As for the deeds of virtue the court prosecutes, if the accused should be found guilty of them, their reward is certain. In Orm, it is thought as important to hold up virtue for admiration and example as it is to condemn wickedness; and it hurts nothing, they say, if good deeds are done only out of greed, if good deeds are done nonetheless. Yet the reward may be direct; or it may be quite oblique. It may come as good fortune in business for some years after; or a sudden discovery of a trove of money; or the return of a long-lost trinket, much desired; or the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Occasionally, a letter arrives bearing the mark of the Court, appointing the bearer to a vacant public office; or a fortune without heirs will be given to them. It has been rumored that the very greatest deeds of compassion have been rewarded with magnificent transformation, secret miracles, visions of other worlds, or even the resurrection of the dead. It is doubtful that such things really lie within the powers of the sorcerers of Orm, and in that dark stone city every shadow is filled with untrustworthy rumor. But it is true that there few places in the world where it is better to do good, or worse than to do evil, than the streets of Orm.

--Uturu Lagash, Comparative Studies in Sennic Law. Library of Uru Press, 2678

#you have to put hot sauce on the bird first #otherwise it's just harumild #tanadrin's fiction

[haberdashing]

What A Tangled Web We Weave (18/?)

TMA AU diverging from canon at the end of episode 92. Jon is forced into an arranged marriage by Elias; Martin does what he can to help.

on AO3

Elias kept speaking, his words seeming to be a more or less traditional wedding ceremony speech, but Martin wasn’t really focused on it anymore, tuning it out as he looked over at Jon.

Jon’s gaze was pointed at Martin in turn, and after a moment, he turned slightly towards Martin and whispered, “So, you’re...”

Martin gulped. “Yeah.”

“How long?” There was no compulsion in Jon’s voice, but Martin answered without hesitation just the same.

“Since, er, the night after you got back. Not that long, really, it’s not like ooh, I’ve secretly been a spider monster this whole time, or anything like that...”

“You’ve just secretly been a spider monster for a few weeks. Because that’s much better.”

Martin could feel a pit growing in his stomach as Jon spoke.

“Also, when you say ‘spider monster’...”

“...right, you- you should see this. You deserve to know who- to know what you’re marrying.”

Martin took a deep breath, let it out, and opened the rest of his eyes.

The two of them were facing the front of the church so the guests probably couldn’t tell the difference, but Elias raised one eyebrow slightly, and Martin could swear he heard tittering laughter from Annabelle even though she shouldn’t have been able to see from that angle...

Martin wasn’t looking at them, though. All eight of his eyes were trained on Jon and only Jon.

...Jon, who looked like he was about ready to pass out.

“Are you alright, Jon? I- I know it’s a lot- are you going to be okay?”

Jon took in a deep breath before gingerly nodding. “I’ll be fine, just- can you go back to having just two eyes, please?”

“R-right, yes, of course.” Martin closed most of his eyes, and the room dimmed, and Annabelle stopped her infuriating giggling.

“Thank you.”

Elias cleared his throat dramatically, and Martin’s gaze snapped back over to him.

“...and so, in the presence of this gathering, I ask you to state your intentions clearly.”

Elias sounded irritated, but it was hard to be sure if it was because the two of them had missed one of his cues or just because... well, because he was Elias, and sometimes Elias just sounded like that.

“Who wishes to go first?”

A quick glance back at Jon, who was looking better than he had a few moments ago, but his eyes still remained dark and filled with fear, almost as much as they had been during Prentiss’ attack.

Martin shrugged and took a step forward.

Elias looked down at him with cold, gray eyes.

“Do you, Martin Blackwood, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”

Martin had expected the vows to be... untraditional in some way, reflecting the odd circumstances that brought about the wedding in the first place, but if there was anything unusual there, it had escaped his notice. It just sounded like normal wedding vows, the type he’d dreamed about saying before, albeit under very different circumstances.

Martin didn’t hesitate. He’d come this far, after all; he wasn’t turning back now.

“I do.”

“Jon?”

Jon shuffled forward.

“Do you, Jonathan Sims, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”

For a moment Jon didn’t speak, and Martin wondered what would happen if he said no, if he denied the plans that the Eye and the Web had made for them both. Probably no good would come of it, but that didn’t mean Jon wouldn’t do it just the same.

“I do.” Jon’s voice was as strong and clear as Martin’s own had been, despite the brief moment of hesitation beforehand.

Elias nodded, his mouth forming a tight grin that somehow managed to annoy Martin almost as much as Annabelle’s giggling had. “The couple will now exchange rings.”

“A ring is an unbroken circle with ends that have been joined together, a symbol of infinity that represents your unending union. When you look at these rings on your hands, be reminded of this moment and of your commitment to one another.”

Was Jon sweating? It wasn’t that warm in here, was it?

Martin didn’t see Annabelle get up, but soon enough she was standing next to the two of them, holding a small box covered in burgundy velvet. The two rings within it were silver, by the looks of them, and covered in intricate etchings--Martin couldn’t make out all the details at a glance, but he did notice that there were eye designs present on both the outside and inside surfaces of the ring.

“Martin, as you place this ring on Jon’s finger, please repeat after me.”

The rings looked identical, or close to it, but Martin took the one that looked a bit smaller, more likely to fit Jon’s slender fingers than his own.

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

“With this ring, I thee wed.” Martin echoed. Something about the moment didn’t feel quite real to him, though pressing the cool metal of the ring onto the warm bones of Jon’s hand felt real enough.

“Jon, as you place this ring on Martin’s finger, please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.”

“With this ring, I thee wed...” Jon’s voice sounded slightly shaky there as he pushed the ring onto Martin’s finger; the fit was a little snug, and Martin imagined that getting the ring off would be quite the hassle because of it, but then, perhaps that was why it was so small, so that keeping it on ceased to be much of a choice.

Choices were getting to be tricky these days, after all.

“Before these witnesses, you have pledged to be joined in marriage. You have now sealed this pledge with your wedding rings. I now pronounce you married.” Elias paused for a moment, and that wicked grin of his grew a bit wider. “You may now kiss.”

Martin could swear he could feel the moment when his heartbeat went from racing to skipping a beat there.

Martin didn’t want to act first, didn’t want to presume anything, didn’t want to force Jon into anything he didn’t want to do--he was along for the Web’s ride, sure, but even if his own choices were constrained because of it, Martin didn’t want the same to be true for Jon.

But then, maybe waiting was worse, because then Jon would have to make the first move, would have to act out what was required of them despite lacking the feelings that made such a gesture so meaningful in the first place...

Maybe they could get away with just not kissing each other. After all, Elias only said that they “may” kiss, that it was allowed, not that it was required of them. There was only so much they could be forced into, right? Maybe if they just stood there for long enough, if Martin’s glaring at Elias was pointed enough, he would move on to whatever remained of the ceremony.

Or, or if they had to kiss, it didn’t have to be on the lips, maybe Martin could kiss Jon’s hand--no, that seemed a bit off, more an oath of fealty than the sort of bond Martin hoped for--a cheek kiss, then, perhaps, or-

Martin was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice Jon coming his way until their lips were brushing against one another.

The kiss was brief and chaste, but certainly enough to keep up appearances. Jon’s lips were warm and a bit chapped, and Martin was suddenly acutely aware of his stubble, how he hadn’t taken the time to shave that morning. Martin tried to read Jon’s true feelings by looking into his eyes, but all Martin could make out there was a deep, dark void, one he could get lost in easily.

Then their lips parted, Jon took a few steps back, and the moment passed.

“That concludes our wedding ceremony.” That made Martin’s skin crawl, being reminded that Elias, and presumably Annabelle, were as much involved in this ceremony as the two who were actually getting married. “The church is booked for the rest of the day, so feel free to linger as long as you like, but there will not be a reception afterwards.”

Annabelle half-walked half-danced back down the aisle, humming some song Martin didn’t quite recognize as she made her way out the door, and Elias followed in her footsteps shortly thereafter, though his own movements were stiff and silent.

And then it was just Jon and Martin, and their small gathering of friends--and Martin wasn’t so sure that they still counted as his friends, now--and as Martin looked back towards them all, his whole body began to shake.

#tma #tma au #tma fic #tma fanfic #jonmartin #jmart #the dinghy #the magnus archives #the magnus archives au #the magnus archives fic #personal #my writing

[dangomilkies]

oc; lixue cherith

Name: Lixue Aria Cherith

Age: 24

Date of birth: December 2, 1997

Relatives: Uriel Cherith (father), Meihui Cherith (mother - deceased), Jian Cherith (twin brother)

Appearance: Lixue is an attractive young woman in her early twenties, she has a slender, tall body with ample bust size and fair complexion. Lixue's hair color is snow white, long past her hips, she has old, rose-pink, almond-shaped eyes. She takes her appearance from her mother but has inherited her father's hair color.

Personality: Lixue is far more aloof and distant compared to her twin brother, Jian. Being born with fae blood, she takes her role as a spellcaster seriously out of wishes from her parents; she does have some carefree moments but is usually constrained due to her father being stricter with her than her brother. Lixue is knowledgeable in both facts and fiction and has little to no imagination due to her knowing reality and fiction, this notion gets shattered later on upon joining Chaldea. She both tends to view things both logically and emotionally although her emotions tend to get ahead of her when she views sentimental things that resonate with her. She also shows some vulnerable and sentimental side one needed to get close to her to see for themselves such as being embarrassed or timid even shows vulnerable side when she is reminded of something she truly cares about.

Besides her brother, when she began to open up to people, she is revealed to be bitter about the death of her mother and the cynicism of her father additionally being born with Divine Patterns instead of magic circuits additionally added sourness to her views in life, while she considers this as a blessing in disguise for not getting through the trouble of teaching and excruciating training, she also finds this as a curse as it deprives her of being able to live a normal and fulfilling life upon knowing how dangerous the magecraft can be if she pushed herself to the limit. Her mother's death caused her tremendous guilt and trauma that she could've used her magecraft to protect them instead of running away like a coward and criticized herself for not being useful without knowing that acting helpless during an attack is normal as she herself, is just a child.

She is affectionate, even goofy, and caring towards people she selectively opens herself to or known to not take advantage of her. Outside of that, she is dismissive, blunt, and plain cold to anyone.

Her staying in Chaldea initially she is stoic and only was there as an intern, she even treated Mash Kyrielight as someone else. It wasn't until she is approached by Romani Archaman and his cheery demeanor kind of weirded her out until he sympathizes with her and gladly would be willing to be a shoulder to lean on. She soon comes to value his company and Mash's and became a second family to them before long. She soon began to change her perception of life but still clings to gray morality by being neutral on feuds as she doesn't want to get involved. She began to value her brother and even knew of his crush on Mash.

Lixue may be forgiving but this is to numb down and bury the feelings than to let it all out, sealing those feelings may hurt her in the long run but she sometimes would suppress those feelings. She may forgive someone who wronged her but she never forgets and would often avoid them as it's a thorny subject for her.

She is somewhat of a hypocrite as well and isn't afraid to admit it, while she values the honesty of others, she is not honest with herself and even would lie to downplay a serious situation which will lead to a worst-case scenario.

Lixue is noted to be hardworking on both mage-related and academics to the point of compromising her own health. Though this is due to her thinking overtime culture is normal.

Outside of this, she is shown a side of her being an innocent little girl such as being a picky eater, taking things at face value or in a literal sense, or even wanting to be spoiled after a huge work done.

She is known to be unresponsive when in deep thought or is delved into her work and when she gets disturbed, she has tendency to lash out as she is very concentrated.

Biography: Hailing from a family similar situation with the Fragas, except the Cherith swear an oath to the fairies and even had affairs with them, and their loyalty was rewarded via their magecraft aligning to the family’s main thaumaturgy granted that they should not reveal any trace of the fairy’s magecraft in public or to other mages, in the standard’s of the Mage’s Association, they aren’t even on top let alone the Tohsaka’s and other aptly famous lineages are more superior. The Cheriths are more aligned with elemental magecraft but some were born with Imaginary Numbers or Hollow magecraft, despite being born with fairy blood in their veins, the family still needed to learn and study from scratch albeit it increases the chance of getting Divine Patterns than Magic Circuits. Those born with Divine Patterns in the family are absolutely rare and those who were born with wouldn't live past eighteen if they kept performing magecraft more and more. When they die, their remains were preserved and transferred to another child in hopes they would inherit it, the last person who was born with Divine Patterns is in the mid-1850s. The Cheriths do not wish to involve themselves in any situation with the mages holding true to the promise, or rather, contracts made to the fairies many years ago but they seem to act like a normal family from an outsider view, the children are not well-versed with magecraft as the parents or their father thought the magecraft would be automatically ingrained into their children performing it with ease, while in reality, they are painfully mediocre due to lack of training though it wasn’t until their father's suggestion to make them practice so it won't waste away their potentials.

Those who were born with Divine Patterns were kept away from the outside world as they are known to be special and refuse any contacts besides their own family (other relatives are also shunned in fear they would be used or exposed to the Sealing Designation). They are given education at least and were trained enough, as they grow older, they are still caged and were given limited contact. These people are seen as a conduit or a channel to humans and fairies, but they keep to themselves and don't let anyone know their secret due to the family's unique circumstance that be targeted by the Enforcers.

Lixue is born to parents, Uriel and Meihui Cheriths, the twin of Jian Cherith. Since she is the fifth who possessed Divine Patterns, both Uriel and Meihui had her sheltered and raised carefully and peacefully alongside her twin Jian until they are ultimately hunted down by Enforcers, and how they are found is unknown, they are forced to flee. Meihui is killed in the process of protecting her children, causing Uriel to raise the children by himself.

Her mother, Meihui hails from a family in Hong Kong who practices shamanism, she met Uriel through a meeting when she stayed in England.

Growing up, they settled in a rural area in England where they grew up, Lixue still remembers vague memories of their mother's death. Lixue learned magecraft with ease thanks to the training she received from their father but soon wore a Mystic Code forged by her father to conceal her fae heritage only higher mages or divine beings can foresee what she really is. By using the mystic code, it forcefully suppresses her heritage and easily performing mysteries, making them weaker. Due to her unique existence, Lixue is homeschooled and trained by her father, she didn't even have any circle of friends from a young age and has a hard time socializing, and is jealous of Jian's free-spiritedness but carries on taking responsibility but also tends to remind him to practice so he won't have to rely on her.

The family currently resided in Wiveliscombe in Somerset and is away from the city, the family also owns a funeral parlor which is popular in the small town.

Lixue often aided in her father when he works in the funeral parlor. She also attended highschool and graduated, she dropped out of college in her 2nd year to fully aid with the business, her father also taught her to rely studying and learning magecraft than performing it easily if she wanted to live longer and inherit the family business.

#oc #lixue cherith