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retellingthehobbit · 10 months

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First chapter / Previous / Next

Webtoon/A03 /Instagram/Tumblr Sideblog

Chapter 13 of my comic adaptation of the Hobbit, "the Necromancer!" I put the title page at the end this time for Reasons, though I might change it back to the beginning later. Below the readmore are my "translator's notes' on why I made certain changes to the source material (ex why Thror is here instead of Thrain), if you're interested:

Gandalf’s art style is inspired by the work of Lotte Reiniger. I chose this for a variety of reasons: because it really captures the aesthetic of a 'classic fairy tale battle of light and dark,' because the smoky backgrounds remind me of the way Gandalf often does magic with smoke/fire, and because it's entirely monochromatic/'grey.' The only other note I have on this chapter is that, as I mentioned before, I’ve altered the timeline so that Thror is the ringbearer dwarf captured by the Necromancer (not Thrain.) The “in universe” explanation for the change is that Tolkien and I are both translating the Red Book of Westmarch & other ancient texts, but came to different conclusions. The history of the dwarves is especially different because Bilbo wasn’t as interested in political machinations, there was misinformation spread by the Elf-King of Mirkwood, and even the Council of the Wise may have spread misinformation to conceal the fate of the dwarven Ring of Power. There are two “out of universe” reasons I changed it: The first is that I wanted to explore a timeline where Thror vanished before the mountain fell, Thrain died during the fall of the Lonely Mountain, and Thorin became king while leading his people into exile. The second was to draw another link between Smaug and the Necromancer. Thror vanishes with the Ring….and it’s only then, after Erebor lost what strength the Ring gave them, that Smaug invades. The only question is, “why did Thror bring the map and key with him to Mirkwood in this version?” My joke answer is that it’s not relevant to Bilbo’s journey. My real answer is that none of the characters will ever know. Maybe they were so precious he always kept them on his person; maybe he was planning to strike some secret deal with the Elf-King; maybe the Necromancer used his influence over Thror’s Ring of Power to manipulate him into bringing him the map and key, for sinister reasons of his own. (It’s probably the last one.)

#the hobbit #lotr #lord of the rings #tolkien #middle earth #the hobbit comic #retelling the hobbits #chapters #chapter 13 #the necromancer #webcomic #art

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fuckyeahdwarffortress · 7 months

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The Ultimate DF Poll

This is it, folks. The penultimate poll of perfect proportions. There was even space to add in "Other" and "I just want to see the results".

Your votes matter for this one!

#Dwarf Fortress #DF #Dorf Fortress #Mod %#The Ultimate Poll

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antvnger · 9 days

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Which architecture do you like best from Lord of the Rings? Human, Hobbit, Dwarven, or Elf?

-Meme Lord

(I would love to live in a hobbit hole, but I love the dwarven aesthetics)

Hobbit holes look so comfy and cozy and perfect honestly. I think they’re my favorite. Elves are too fancy shmancy. Dwarves look cool but it’s too rough. Humans are…typical, I guess.

And since I’m a burglar, I think a Hobbit hole is perfect for me.

#ask scott lang #scott lang #ant-man #meme lord #lord of the rings #lotr #the hobbit #hobbits #elves #dwarves #humans #ant man #antman

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dwarvenaesthetic · 2 years

Photo

Ali Lokhandwala

Free to use under the Unsplash License

Buy us a round!

#architecture #pillars #columns #dwarven architecture #dwarven aesthetic #bnw #b&w #photography

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lydiachan · 2 months

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Dwarven Creation vs. Sotha Sil Creation

There are distinct similarities between the aesthetics of ancient Dwarven culture and Sotha Sil's Clockwork City. It is found that a big portion of Elder Scrolls players often have trouble identifying the differences between the two, and the idea that Sotha Sil's creations are Dwarven. This is not the case at all, but there is a reason why they are so similar. In Sotha Sil's lifetime, he was heavily inspired by the Dwarves as he came to power when they were in their peak in the First Era. (Sotha Sil died in the Third Era to the hands of Almalexia, as seen in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind). Dwarven science and architecture was at the base of all of Sotha Sil's research but he didn't completely steal all of their ideas. The architecture and automatons you see in Clockwork City are made out of a completely different material than what you would see in any Dwemer ruin. Sotha Sil used brass, the Dwemer used Dwarven metal that is completely unique to their kind. Another thing, Sotha Sil could take any Dwarven idea and make it better, turning it into an entirely new creation that is his own. For example, take a Dwarven sphere and a Factotum. A Dwarven sphere may be programmed to complete a task, but they have no intelligence and are rather weak. Factotums on the other hand are pretty much what people would consider to be a modern day robot. Factotums can complete several complex tasks, sense physical feeling such as weight being added or removed from their person, they detect and report crime, they can scan for resources, maintain a city, they can TALK, they can give the player tasks, and document important information such as citizenship and banking as seen in Elder Scrolls Online's Clockwork City DLC. Factotums are also usually in charge of the local guild traders, which is also an extremely important source of goods for any Elder Scrolls Online player. In greater and more powerful Dwarven automatons such as the centurion, they cannot function or "turn on" unless they are given a source of power, usually from a lever that is pulled. I remember the first time I played Skyrim, it took me so long to figure out that the centurions were not just decorations and that they could actually move and attack you. The Dwarven centurions Clockwork equivalent would be an Imperfect. Though imperfects are a lot larger in size, it is the same idea except that they can move and function on their own and the player doesn't need to manually power one on. Imperfects don't have as much dialogue as factotums, but they are a lot stronger than centurions. (Do not try to kill that one imperfect that is a world boss in Clockwork City alone, you will fail). Like the Dwarves, Clockwork City also has automaton spiders. Sotha Sil created two different kinds of automaton spiders: the Firepot Spider and the Dancing Spider. The Firepot one was created to be used as a barbecue for chefs, which is really weird but okay I guess. Could have just used a normal grill. There's not much to say about the Dancing Spider though, it's very similar to the Dwarven Spider except it's attacks and movements are a lot more dramatic hence the name "Dancing Spider". I will say though, both of the Clockwork spiders are incredibly strong in-game and are extremely annoying to encounter despite their small size. Sotha Sil also created an automaton dinosaur species but I'm not going to get into the details of that one because it can't be compared to anything Dwarven. Basically, the Dwemer didn't have dinosaurs. Another huge point that I should have brought up earlier before I started yapping about automatons is the fact that Dwemer cities were powered by steam and the Clockwork City is powered by Sotha Sil's magic alone. Well, it WAS powered by Sotha Sil but it is now powered by his artificial Heart of Lorkhan that he created to save the city during his death. If I see anybody else call Sotha Sil "Dwarven" I will redirect them to this post. Sotha Sil is NOT short, he's like seven feet tall. Nirn's tallest elf. Thank you.

#tesblr #elder scrolls #skyrim #the elder scrolls #morrowind #tes #sotha sil #oblivion #yap session

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kaidanworkshop · 4 months

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Kaidan Revoiced: Community Expansion Content Frequently Asked Questions

Looking for more information about the Kaidan Workshop as a whole? Check here first!

What will be included in the Kaidan Revoiced: Community Expansion mod?

To list every small addition and fix would make this FAQ unbearably long, but here are the key highlights:

Remastered and rebuilt from the ground up! Every single line of code, every asset, and every script has been overhauled – our new follower framework eliminates long-standing bugs and quality of life issues that plagued the original mod

All new voice acting of Kaidan by the talented Paul Warren

Many new QOL features for Kaidan such as:

Wardrobe management

Pronoun selection

Combat damage adjustment

Immersive settings system through dialogue

Audio restoration and engineering on supporting characters from Kaidan 1 sources

Reviewed and updated quest commentary conditions - you may hear lines from the original script that you’ve never had the chance to hear before!

Customize your playthrough by choosing a nickname that Kaidan can use for you - or ask to not be called by a nickname (ie. "Dragonborn")

Players can now obtain the custom home Autumnwatch without marrying Kaidan if they so choose, or via the original romance route

New high poly and HD assets while preserving LivTempleton’s original mod aesthetic

Do I need the original LivTempleton Kaidan 2 mod?

No, Kaidan Revoiced: Community Expansion mod is standalone, and has no other mod requirements. It is not compatible with the original Kaidan 2 mod.

Can I use KR:CE with [insert Kaidan replacer]/[insert Kaidan patch]?

KR:CE will not be compatible out of the box with ANY existing Kaidan replacers, patches, or extensions. KR:CE uses a new framework that current visual replacers and compatibility patches simply will not work with; however, converting existing replacers and creating new compatibility patches for other mods (such as Legacy of The Dragonborn) is a relatively easy process we are more than happy to assist in.

Besides that, we have incorporated many different Kaidan fixes that have made several of his old patches and mods obsolete. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the fixes and mods included in KR:CE.

Extensive dialogue tweaks & subtitle fixes

Stat & combat balancing

Follower distance adjustments

HD Armor Retexture

Shackles Fix

Select parts of Kaidan’s Armory and Kaidan’s Arsenal

Dwarven Mail CC conflict patch

Immersive Start (pending current Community Poll)

Kaidan Refreshed

Additionally, Axarien’s Animations, as well as Kaidan Silvered, have been updated and will publish concurrently with KR:CE.

Patches and modules that will need to be converted &/or patched for compatibility include, but aren’t limited to:

All existing visual replacers

All existing Autumnwatch replacers

Legacy of the Dragonborn followers patch

Hjertesten

Blackthorn

MCO animation folders

Custom DAR/OAR animations

Can I use KR:CE with a follower manager mod, such as NFF or AFF?

No, KR:CE’s custom follower framework will break if you import Kaidan into any such mod. As we have rebuilt it from the ground up, any requested features that the community wishes to have implemented can be investigated and integrated relatively seamlessly; these can always be suggested via any of our socials for consideration.

Will Kaidan still have his interactions with Lucien?

Unfortunately, we are unable to coordinate the revoicing effort of the Lucien-Kaidan interactions for our initial 1.0 launch – it is something that we are very interested in pursuing once schedules permit.

Will Kaidan still curse/drink in KR:CE?

The short answer: Yes. Our design policy with regards to any changes we make to Kaidan is one that aims to be lore friendly, as well as keeping his characterization as close as possible to his original depiction.

The long answer, as per our Writing Team:

-- Please note the response below contains NSFW language --

"Kaidan's cursing and drinking is something our community has definitely weighed in on, spurring an entire section of exposition in our style guide to address it. Our main concern is that some of his language is anachronistic, and we want to address that.

In the base Skyrim script, mild language such as damn, piss, and bastard are used throughout the world, while other words like bitch, whore, sex, and ass are used less frequently. It was clearly LivTempleton's intent to have Kaidan be someone who is unafraid to let a foul word slip here and there, but not so much that he's swearing like a sailor. Hell and fuck are both used by Kaidan, and despite not being strictly “lore friendly,” both swears are canonically used within The Elder Scrolls world. Similarly with regards to drinking, Kaidan’s base script contains several lines that clearly show he enjoys having a drink here and there, but not so much that he’s a drunken mess.

We are considering replacements for the anachronistic swears with something more lore friendly in future Workshop Original content, but we don't have any specific plans to expand the amount of swearing or drinking lines he has by any significant amount at this time. Ultimately, sometimes less is more."

Can I use KR:CE with Extended Edition?

No, KR:CE will not be compatible out of the box with ANY existing Kaidan replacers, patches, or extensions. Further, as Extended Edition has the original Kaidan 2 as a mod requirement, it is unfortunately incompatible with our expansion.

Will KR:CE be ported to Xbox/Playstation/Switch?

For Xbox - Yes, we have plans to do so (and have been building KR:CE with console compatibility in mind), but in the event that we are unable to do so in house, we would be more than happy to coordinate with a knowledgeable member of the community to port KR:CE.

For Playstation & Switch - Unfortunately due to the limitations of modding on this particular console, we cannot release KR:CE on either of these platforms.

Can I use KR:CE with Skyrim VR?

Yes, KR:CE should be compatible out of the box.

Will KR:CE be backported to Skyrim: Legendary Edition?

We currently have no plans to backport KR:CE to LE. However, we would be more than happy to coordinate with a knowledgeable member of the community to port KR:CE.

Is the Workshop planning on creating interactions with [insert your favorite custom voiced follower]?

Interactions with other custom voiced followers has always been a goal of ours! Right now we are focused primarily on releasing the 1.0 version of KR:CE, and creating an entirely new script with another content creator will add too much production time to our current workflow. However, once we begin transitioning towards Workshop Original Script production post-launch, we will be revisiting this topic in full force.

Can I make a compatibility patch for [insert your favorite mod]?

In general, yes! Link us to the content you wish to make a patch for, so we can ensure it does not violate our Terms of Use Policy (see below). Besides that, all we ask is that you please credit us as The Kaidan Workshop, as well as crediting LivTempleton for providing her assets to the community.

Dragonborn Voice Over/AI Voice Generation Policy

The Kaidan Workshop, as well as our VA Paul Warren, have a strict policy against the utilization of AI Voice Generation. We do NOT consent to the use of Kaidan’s new lines by Mr. Warren in any mod &/or media content that uses AI Voice Generation as a permanent fixture of its content, nor do we consent to the utilization of any of our content in helping to train AI Voice Generators. Mods that use AI voices as placeholders while official lines are being recorded will be evaluated on a case by case basis. In the case of the popular Dragonborn Voice Over mod, only a voice from a human voice actor who has consented to their voice and its likeness being used for AI Voice Generation will be considered for a compatibility patch. Otherwise, the above no-tolerance policy stands.

NSFW Patch Policy

The Workshop, as well as our VA Paul Warren has a strict policy against the utilization of KR:CE in NSFW content. The only exception to this rule are nude body replacers for mods such as HIMBO or SOS.

Help! My question isn't on this FAQ page!

No problem! Come swing by our Discord, or leave a message in our inbox.

#kaidan 2 #kaidanworkshop #kaidan skyrim #custom voice follower skyrim #skyrim kaidan #elder scrolls skyrim #custom voiced follower #kaidan #tes v skyrim

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imsobadatnicknames2 · 3 months

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i keep thinking about ur stardew valley + land ownership/colonialism post and while i was thinking that too ive also been trying to think about like is there a way to make a farming sim not predicated on those? since as a game genre there is a niche of Watching Things Grow but also i know farming has been around since we first left huntergathering behind and it wasn't always about land ownership. i suppose the first step would be leaving behind the american/european idea/aesthetic of farming and finding some gameplay way of disincentivizing max yields/max profits playstyles

Okay this is an interesting ask and one I don't have all the answers to, but...

I think a game that comes much closer to simulating the actual ideals of communal land ownership is Dwarf Fortress and the way its mechanics depict dwarven society as at least communist-adjacent*. Now of course DF isn't exactly the type of game you would think of when someone mentions cozy relaxing farm games (it's, after all, a pretty crunchy simulator that can get pretty violent and gruesome when things go wrong) but you generally do a lot of the same things in it (growing crops, gathering resources, watching things grow, etc). and there are a lot of principles in it that could probably be incorporated into a Wholesome™ game.

In Dwarf Fortress there is the sense that the land you have is communally owned and managed by the entire population of your fortress. You as a player designate a list of tasks that need to be done and then available dwarves divide those tasks among themselves based on their labor preferences. And generally they don't have an economy based on wages and buying and selling products. When a dwarf makes a piece of clothing it isn't made to be sold, instead it goes on one of the clothing stockpiles, and then when a dwarf needs a new shirt they go to the clothing stockpile and grab one. The meals that are made in the kitchen go to the food stockpile, and then when one of your dwarves is hungry they go to the food stockpile and grab something to eat. And they don't have to pay for any of it because it's assumed that they're also doing the labor they can to contribute to the fort. So it works a lot less like Petty-Bourgeois Landowner Business Simulator and more similar to something like a commune.

Of course, this isn't to say that its base ideological assumptions don't share a lot of pitfalls with other farming simulator/terraforming type games. After all, it still fundamentally stems from the premise of "this plot of untouched land is here for you to do whatever you want with it" and more generally it still has a lot of themes of Civilizing Untamed Wilderness that have a lot of ideological implications which... You know, play into a bit of a colonialist mindset, but it's something you could potentially write around if, for example, your hypothetical game revolved around a community already living there or something like that.

And of course it still implies a bit of an extractivist ideology because ultimately you're still trying to Extract Resources and Maximize Efficiency but I think at least it has some mechanics that play counter to this e.g. having too many animals grazing in the same area for a long time will cause it to lose vegetation so your animals will go hungry if you don't rotate them between different pastures, fortress wealth is used as a trigger for events such as hostile invasions and megabeast attacks, etc.

Anyway, I just think the way land management is depicted in dwarf fortress avoids some of the bourgeois ideological implications of some farming games and incorporating some of the things it does right could be considered a step in the right direction.

*I say communist-adjacent bc I don't wanna fall into the trap of projecting my own politics into the game when in some aspects it just doesn't share them. I've heard several ppl claim that DF is a straight-up communist game, and while the way you play in it does share some aspects of communism, the government system of dwarves is still clearly depicted as a monarchy, and while nobles DO contribute to labor just like everybody else, the game still expects you to give them luxurious quarters, private dining rooms and offices that stand above those of other dwarves. I've had a lot of people reply to this with something along the lines of "oh but you know, when I play I just arrange 'unfortunate accidents' for all of my nobles" and like...yeah but that's not really the way you're intended to play, so saying that the game is straight-up communist because you can do that is still very much projecting your own politics onto it.

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i-did-not-mean-to · 5 months

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Fireplace

Written for @lordoftherazzles. Have a little cosy warm ficlet <3

(Sorry, I posted the fic for the 25th yesterday, so we do a switcheroo)

Characters: Thorin x Bilbo

Words: 1 760

Warnings: elves, dwarves, men, a fireplace...very fluffy, very legal, very cool

Thorin scowled but wiped the discontented expression off his face almost instantly—after all, distasteful as it might have been to him, this project was his very own.

Usually, he and Bilbo spent the winters in the Shire where the climate was more clement and the cold not as biting, but due to the upcoming wedding of his nephew, they had decided to stay in Erebor this time.

The brave Hobbit had not expressed any unhappiness about it, but the King knew, nevertheless, that the howling wind and the pervasive chill were gnawing on him relentlessly.

Bilbo, for all his inner fortitude, was not wrought of hard, non-corroding metal—his was a world of soft comforts, and Thorin was determined to provide as much solace as he could to his beloved.

Thus, he had invited both Bard and Thranduil—loathsome, overly critical intruders—to his realm to help him devise a fireplace that would bring not only welcome and much-needed warmth but also earnest joy to his gentle consort.

Even though Bilbo had expressed genuine, enthusiastic admiration for all the dwarven crafts and mechanisms in Erebor, Thorin suspected that the great furnaces and functional grates were not entirely to his liking.

As the little smial had been discreetly decorated with the angular, geometric patterns of Thorin’s home over time, the King of the Lonely Mountain considered it only proper and fair that he’d make some allowances for the aesthetic sensibilities of his cherished partner in return.

“It’s beautiful,” Bard now commented, grinning widely at their masterpiece.

“It is good,” Thranduil admitted while meticulously straightening the tassels of an intricately embroidered rug that had been sent all the way from Imladris. “He deserves nothing less.”

Smiling grimly, Thorin nodded. He was aware that Bilbo was much more popular than he would ever be, and despite his profound distrust for the Elves and all their creations, he was happy to see how generously they had contributed to the small sitting room he had prepared for Bilbo.

“Now get lost,” he rumbled when Ori slipped in, his arms bending under the weight of a stack of books he was carrying as a last addition to the homely sanctuary. “I don’t know how long Fíli and Kíli can distract my love before he comes looking for me.”

As foreseen, Thorin found Bilbo—red-cheeked and laughing—in the Great Hall where he was engaged in a complicated game of dice. By the looks of frustration and dismay on his nephews’ faces, the Hobbit was also winning which gladdened Thorin’s heart even further.

“Ah, my dear, I shall soon own all the riches of Erebor,” Bilbo hooted as he tilted up his face to receive the forceful kiss he knew Thorin would give him. “This is a hostile take-over!”

“Erebor’s resources are at your disposal,” three Durins said at the same time, in the same self-evident tone, and Bilbo hid his face in his hands for a moment.

They always seemed so ruthlessly efficient and lethally competent that he seemed to regularly forget how sweet and gentle their hearts were—thankfully, they found enough opportunities to remind him that, beneath a tough veneer of polished metal and unyielding stone, they had the best, bravest, and most loyal souls.

“Come, leave the princes to lick their wounds,” Thorin prompted and pulled the other up by a pudgy, soft hand. “There is something I want to show you.”

Confusion and earnest curiosity shone on the handsome, homely face of the Hobbit as he let himself be dragged out of the room without putting up any resistance.

“Ah, the winters in Erebor are a sight to behold,” Bilbo babbled as they walked towards their bedroom. “Thorin?” Smouldering, sensual excitement thrummed in his voice now as he realised in which direction they were headed.

“As much as I wish…” the dwarven king laughed and pointed at the door that had been off-limits for his consort for a whole while now.

“Oh? I finally get to see what secrets you’ve hidden in there? I tried to pry it out of the princes—and I almost got Kíli to the point of letting something slip—but, ultimately, I could not learn anything I didn’t know already.” Visibly peeved by this, Bilbo accelerated his steps, so eager was he to finally get to the bottom of the mystery.

When the door swung open, a soft gasp escaped him.

“What is this then?” he murmured dazedly, even though he was much too astute not to recognise a sitting room when he saw one.

The bare stone walls had been covered with warm, dark wood and a comfortable-looking armchair sat on a beautifully woven rug—both had clearly been made by the Elves, and Bilbo’s head swivelled around slowly to gaze at his lover in speechless shock. He knew only too well how much Thorin objected to his neighbours and their faraway kin, so he could hardly imagine him inviting their craftsmen and artists to work on a room inside his hallowed, jealously guarded mountain.

“Let me,” Thorin grinned and went to kneel by the main draw of the private sitting room: the immense, intricately carved fireplace.

If his hands shook a little while he coaxed the reluctant embers into roaring flame, it was only understandable after all the trouble he had gone through to create this warm, cosy, safe space for his husband.

“You had this made for me?” Bilbo asked in a choked voice as he stepped closer to the richly adorned mantelpiece and traced the impressively detailed decorations of dragons, forests, and acorns. “This is the story of our adventure,” he whispered, entranced by the beauty of the craftsmanship.

“Your adventure, to be exact,” Thorin corrected gently and, getting back to his feet, tapped his finger against the first carving on the far left that depicted Bilbo’s little smial. “I am not entirely convinced by the way these pointy-eared bastards decided to represent me,” he grumbled, frowning at the burly, long-bearded, overly surly-looking doter in the middle of the fireplace’s border, “but I think that they did a solid job otherwise.”

“You…for me?” Bilbo repeated, his eyes starry with wordless delight and deep gratitude. “Why?”

“Well, there is a small smithy in the back garden of Bag End,” Thorin replied sheepishly. “You’ve been so very good at making space for me and ensuring that I’d feel welcome and comfortable in your home. As we stay here for the winter…”

“OH! But I love being here,” Bilbo exclaimed. “Bofur will make me a sleigh, and the boys and I shall have a wonderful time in the snow!”

Cupping Thorin’s bearded cheeks between his warm, slightly trembling hands and pulling that serious face down for a passionate, tender kiss, the Hobbit smiled indulgently. “I love Erebor,” he said. “It is cold and draughty, sure, but it has its own charm. I would not have agreed to stay here for the season if I did not honestly want to.”

His button nose twitched expressively—they both knew that, by now, Bilbo was indeed rarely the kind of creature to hide his displeasure or unwillingness. “More than anything, though, I love being here with you,” he insisted, “and this is wonderful, but it was not necessary.”

Leaning his still furrowed brow against the smooth one of his darling, Thorin gave a deep, shuddering sigh.

“You are the very best partner any Khâzad could ever dream of,” he murmured and slung his strong arms possessively around the lighter, narrower frame of the Hobbit. “Mahal be blessed—I often think that I do not deserve the love of one so kind and understanding.”

“Have you fallen on your head?” Bilbo laughed, reminding his spouse that he had forced him to clean and air out all the stuffy furs of last season only that morning. Thorin had grumbled extensively but had ended up complying. “If anything, I have become even more spoiled since knowing you.”

“Nonsense,” Thorin objected. “You are the very soul of bravery and resilience, dealing with my kin and people, charming my sister, and keeping Erebor up and running like clockwork without ever raising your voice!”

Chuckling sheepishly, Bilbo leaned into the embrace of the dwarven king he so adored and hummed happily as he felt tiny kisses being peppered onto the crown of his messy curls.

“Bombur shall bring up cupcakes soon,” Thorin whispered, his icy blue eyes warming as Bilbo’s head flew up and warm hazels lit up with eager delight. “He thanks you very kindly for your recipe—he said he might have added a distinctly dwarven twist to the rich creaminess of the sweet syrup.”

“Meat, you mean?” Bilbo laughed.

“You really did think of everything, haven’t you?” he then murmured and sank back into the strong, protective arms that would have been more than enough to keep the biting cold at bay as far as he was concerned. “I am so grateful for the immense effort you’ve made. Tell me, do I see foreign influences?”

“You’ve been so enamoured with the Elven designs.” Embarrassed, Thorin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly—at the time they had passed through Rivendell, he had still pretended that he was in no way unduly interested in or attracted by their burglar.

The small squeak of emotion and joy escaping a much more sedate and fully claimed Bilbo now was worth a moment of painful truth though.

“You are well-liked, my love,” the King admitted. “Everyone has fallen over their feet to help.”

“Do I detect a note of jealousy?” Bilbo teased and pressed a soothing, tender kiss onto the warm skin of Thorin’s throat, just above the richly embroidered hem of his handsome tunic. “You needn’t be. As gratified as I am by the willingness of our friends to contribute to my happiness, I really only need you by my side!”

Mollified by this reassurance, Thorin led him over to the soft, inviting sofa and, together, they sat down with a low grunt of relaxation. Soon, Bilbo’s legs were swung over the armrest and his head was resting in Thorin’s lap while thick, blunt fingers carded through his soft hair distractedly.

“You are such a romantic—you’ve remembered all the things that we would have done in the Shire. I’ve never thought that you’d pay that much heed to our silly little habits.”

Snorting in vexation, Thorin tilted his bearded chin down to look at his most precious of gems.

“Maybe,” he said playfully, “it was I who missed the comforts of Bag End.”

Thank you so much for reading <3

-> Masterlist for November

#og post #IDNMT writes #fanfiction #writing #tolkien writing #jrrt #November #Nanowrimo2023 #Bagginshield #Thorin #Bilbo #Fireplace #cosy fluff #Thranduil #Bard

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lowcountry-gothic · 2 years

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One thing about The Rings of Power I feel doesn’t get enough attention or discussion is the soundtrack. Howard Shore’s soundtracks for the LOTR films are amazing and are in a category all their own, but Bear McCreary has made something totally unique and beautiful that feels like it fits another age of Middle-earth without even trying to emulate Shore’s work, and that’s quite an achievement.

I was listening to an interview he did about his work on the show, and he talked about how, for each culture, there’s a theme that encapsulates that culture’s values and aesthetics and concerns, as well as those of the current leader who embodies those cultural values, and then there’s an individual character theme that kind of serves as a counterpoint to the generic cultural theme. I think that’s really fascinating, and you can see a lot of examples.

The example McCreary gave in the interview was the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dum. You have the main cultural theme, itself titled “Khazad-dûm,” which is bold and brassy and anthemic, but not very personal; and then you have “Durin IV,” which still embodies a dwarven aesthetic and feel, but has a lot of personality with its jaunty fiddles. “Khazad-dûm” gives you a sense of the place, with its stoniness and its angular architecture and its status as one of the great wonders of the world, while “Durin IV” gives you a really good sense of what that particular character is like; and the differences between the two themes give you a good idea of the tensions between Durin IV and his father, Durin III, who, as the king of Khazad-dum, is represented by the broader cultural theme.

You get this with a lot of the other cultures and kingdoms, too. For the Harfoots, the dominant culture theme is “Harfoot Life,” which embodies the cultural aesthetic of closeness to nature and nomadic life. It has an upbeat, wandering feel, but the percussion at the beginning of the piece feels surreptitious and sneaky, alluding to their practice of hiding from Big People, and some of the background strings have a very set pattern that encompasses the more lilting, wandering main melody, suggesting that while the Harfoots are nomadic, they keep to very specific trails and don’t like to explore outside the range of their normal movements. The individual/counterpart theme is “Nori Brandyfoot,” which still has that upbeat wandering feel, but also feels much more yearning. There’s a desire to see new things and new places that comes from its strings and especially the Irish pennywhistle.

The “Númenor” theme, similar to “Khazad-dûm,” is big and anthemic, but there’s also a sense of ancientry and larger-than-life wisdom and heroicism. It gives the feeling that the people of this culture are inheritors of dignity and grandeur in their architecture, arts, sciences, and lore. As a companion to this, the “Elendil and Isildur” theme still has that feeling of grandness, but the grandness feels more remote, like a background or an echo, while the real emotion of the piece is not that wonder at an astonishing spectacle, but a real, human yearning (which speaks to Isildur, I think) and also an affectionate warmth and dependability and quiet strength that really suggests Elendil’s presence. So these two values of love for family and a calling for something else feel very particular and personal, especially set against that monumental feel of “Númenor.”

For the Elves, it’s a bit more complicated. There isn’t really a theme that embodies the dominant culture of the Elves, but there is still an interesting point-counterpoint relationship between the two elven themes that we do get. There’s the theme for “Elrond Half-elven,” which is warm, personal, and feels very safe and secure, while also suggesting the almost spiritual otherworldliness of the elves. It really does evoke a personality which feels, to invoke Tolkien’s own description of the character, “as kind as summer.” In contrast, though, we also have the “Galadriel” theme, which still has that spiritual otherworldliness but feels anything but safe and secure. It has a feeling of longing that I think is stronger than any of the yearning qualities in any of the other themes in the score, and I think the intensity of that longing comes from the theme’s inherent grief and loss, and, more importantly, trauma. The theme really effectively communicates the sense of sorrow and of one’s world being upended and of an innocence lost, of being transformed by something harrowing from which there is no coming back; only healing and moving on to something new and different, or being drawn ever more toward darkness.

And finally (for the purposes of this discussion, anyway—there’s a ton more I could go on and on about, other themes I haven’t even mentioned), I want to talk about the Southlands. Their dominant cultural theme is actually entitled “Halbrand,” which makes sense as he’s the exiled long-lost king of their culture. As with “Númenor,” there’s an air of age and history, but it’s less ancient and more medieval. It actually uses the Hardanger fiddle, the same instrument that made Shore’s theme for Rohan so iconic. But here, it feels despondent, a bit hopeless. It speaks of a heritage, but one that is a burden rather than a source of pride. In stark contrast to that is “Bronwyn and Arondir,” which has a much lighter feel, like a sudden breath of fresh air. There’s a sense of longing, but in that longing is also hope. A longing for something that feels possible, feels almost within one’s grasp; an appropriate feeling for a romantic theme. Just as Bronwyn in the story offers her people a way forward, a chance to defend their home against the enemy their ancestors once allied with, her theme also embodies that hope, one that stands in contrast to the weight of her culture’s deterministic guilt and hopelessness.

So yes, Bear McCreary deserves all the praise for his work on Rings of Power. We could have just got a Howard Shore impersonator, which would have probably been okay, but almost certainly wouldn’t have had the depth and dynamic, almost call-and-response structure of the actual soundtrack we have.

#text #mine #the rings of power #bear mccreary

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