#silmarillion oc

[eunoiaastralwings]

Poor Grandpa Thingol

@nailsinmywall thank you ever so much for this 🥺 – one of Lú’s (@luthriel-tinuviel) childhood troubles with her magic.

The family got the worst of it 🤣

Poor grandpa Thingol – with a sore face and head for a few days 😂😂

#nailsinmywall #tolkien elves #eunoiawrites #the silmarillion #silmarillion #the silm #silmarillion oc #the silm fandom #tolkien oc #middle earth #lúthien #Lúthriel #melian #thingol #elu thingol #tolkien #silmarillion fanart #Silmarillion oc #Lúthriel Tinuviel #lúthien tinúviel #Daughter of beren and Lúthien #Twin sister of Dior #doriath

[feanors-silmarils]

"My muse. My light. My inspiration."

Commission of my Tolkien OC Melino (lost son of Finarfin and Uinen) and Maglor done for me by the absolutely wonderful @liusia-piu ! Thank you so. much for this beautiful art!

#tolkien #silmarillion #maglor #kanafinwe #makalaure #melino #arafinwe #finarfin #silm #the silm #the silmarillion #tolkien art #silm art #tolkien oc #silmarillion oc

[cilil]

✧˖ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 °.

Are you looking to name a Maia or Vala OC or to write about an Ainu character, but aren't sure how to name them/refer to them? You've come to the right place! Here's a fun little breakdown of Ainur names (there's also a tldr at the bottom for quick answers). Hope it helps!

Level 1: What others call them (near, far, wherever they are)

Much like other characters in the legendarium, Ainur have different names in different languages and their identities may be seen differently depending on which culture they're currently interacting with.

One great example for this is Gandalf. His original name in Valinor was Olórin (related to "olos"/"olor" which means dream or vision), while the name Gandalf came from old northern Mannish and means "Wand-Elf". To the Dwarves, he was known as Tharkûn, which is Khuzdul for "Staff-man", and his Sindarin name was Mithrandir, which means "grey wanderer". These are just a few examples of his various names and nicknames, but you get the idea.

If you have other characters referring to the Ainu in question, consider which language(s) they would speak and see if a name has already been given to that Ainu in the specific language. Otherwise you can translate one of their existing names or give them a new one based on how you think the culture/group of people whose perspective you're currently writing would view the Ainu. An example to illustrate the latter: On Númenor Mairon was referred to as Zigûr, which means "wizard" in Adûnaic - fitting for a sorcerer.

As for the Ainu(r) character(s) you're writing, consider that they may also need different names in different languages depending on who they interact with. Ainur are omnilingual and will typically introduce themselves according to the language others around them speak. Depending on how open they want to be with their identity, they may simply give a slightly altered version of their name that reflects the other language (for example the Adûnaic version of Melkor is Mulkhêr), translate their name or make up a new one or accept one that was given to them. However, the name they identify with and use in their inner monologue may be a different one*... and this is where we move to the next level.

*Important side note regarding this: While Morgoth and Sauron are commonly used names for Melkor and Mairon, these names were given to them by other people and are intended to be derogatory, so even though it's not always explicit in the text, we can safely assume that they do not self-identify as such and stick to their more "flattering" original names.

Level 2: Quenya

When Ainur are introduced in canon, a Quenya name is usually given as their "real" name. Again, Olórin is an example (one among many) for this.

Having a Quenya name is pretty essential for every Ainu who lives in/has ties to Valinor and can be important for the ones in Middle-earth too depending on the time period and how they self-identify. Be sure to look up the Quenya names of existing Ainur characters and have a Quenya name ready for your OCs, unless they were never in Valinor and explicitly cut themselves off from their kin and culture. Gothmog might be an example for this, being an Ainu who is pretty much exclusively identified with a Sindarin name and seems to at least not object to the usage of his "evil Balrog name"/isn't mentioned to identify with a different name instead. However, even in such a case consider that other Ainur might still remember the character in question by their Quenya name and continue to use it.

Level 3: Valarin

As you probably know already, Valarin is the language of the Ainur that they created when they began taking physical forms. While they still use it among themselves and some Valarin words were adopted into Quenya, the alien and at times unpleasant sound of Valarin prompted them to learn Quenya instead to converse with Elves.

Would the Valarin name be a more "accurate" name of an Ainu, given how it was their first language and they only later translated their names? You could say that, and some authors have chosen to use Valarin names for that reason.

However, the main issue with Valarin is that so little is known about it and it can be intimidating and/or infuriating to even try using it aside from the few known Valarin names, which are:

Aȝūlēz (Aulë) Arōmēz (Oromë) Mānawenūz (Manwë) Oš(o)šai (Ossë) Tulukhastāz (Tulkas) Ullubōz (Ulmo)

Alright, don't panic. Valarin is, at least in my humble opinion, not a must. The texts themselves use Quenya, the Quenya names are a translation of the Valarin names and the Ainur in general are known to self-identify by their Quenya names a lot, for example Mairon liked calling himself "Tar-Mairon".

If this however isn't satisfying to you and you would still prefer to have Valarin names ready for the Ainur you're writing, but can't make much of what little is known (less than 20 words and names respectively), you can still "make up" your own Valarin rendition of the Quenyan names. Here's how:

If you look at the ones I listed above, you may have already noticed that there are strong similarities between the names. Manwë, for example, comes from the Quenya root "man" with the ending "wë", and you can see these elements being present in his Valarin name as well. So I'd suggest you take the Quenya root and simply... make up a name that sounds like it could be proper Valarin (yup, we cheese it). To give you an example I've seen floating around in fanon: Melkor's name comes from the Common Eldarin (common ancestor of all Elven languages) "melek"/"mbelek", which means powerful (root "bel"/"mbel"), and Valarin names people use for him are usually some variant of "(M)Belekorōz".

Level 4: "True Names"?

But wait, some of you may say, didn't you say that the Ainur only invented Valarin when they took physical forms? Yup, I sure did. The Ainur in fact existed before language was even a thing - as spirit beings who communicate telepathically (via good old ósanwë) by nature they don't need it among themselves.

And this why I think not even the Valarin names are technically the "true names" of the Ainur and that they in fact don't have "one true name". Given how the use of ósanwë, especially in an environment like the Timeless Halls where no physical barriers exist, allows them to pretty much project their entire identity, emotional state and being to one another, there should have been no need for names. Rather, they would have "titles" or "descriptors", a sort of summary of who their identity and function. You can arguably see that in Melkor's name still: "He who arises in might".

Now, again, what I'm saying in the paragraph above isn't explicitly spelled out in canon, but rather the conclusion I've come to after researching and thinking about it. I would also advise against giving various Ainur half a sentence as their original "name" for your Timeless Halls fics - I thought about it, but realized it would be both obnoxious to write and unpleasant to read.

[TLDR] To conclude my advice is this: Quenya as the original/default name is completely fine, you can create a Valarin version if you want to and otherwise you may need additional names in other languages depending on the setting and situation, as outlined in level 1. With that being said: Happy writing and character creating!

#ainur answers #ainur #maiar #valar #writing guide #tolkien oc #tolkien legendarium #silmarillion #silmarillion oc #ainu oc #it's a long way to say that you could theoretically just make a quenya name and maybe add a sindarin one and be fine in most cases #anyway uh #if you have further questions #feel free to send asks #or dm

[ladyofthestarlight]

Siblings

Maedhros, Maglor and Valaros daughter of feanor OC

#silmarillion oc #art #my art #the silmarilion #silm art #silmart #silmarillion #the silmarillion #the silm #silm #maedhros art #maedhros #maglor art #maglor #oc #elf oc #silm oc #Valaros #daughter of feanor #sons of feanor #feanor #feanorians

[blue-istari-stars-of-the-south]

Commission of my Tolkien OC Manó, Maia of Mandos and one of the Blue Istari done for me by:

#manó #silmarillion oc #tolkien oc #istari #ainur #maia of mandos #silmarillion #tolkien #ainur oc #maia oc #feanturi #silm #the silm #tolkien art #silmarillion art #blue istari

[koyunsoncizeri]

Just some immortal x mortal angst, originally feanor and my oc jdjdjd 🤪

Also my comms are open!! Check it out if you wish <3

#silmarillion #feanorians #feanor #silmarillion oc #art #tolkien

[shierak-inavva]

if it's only time, then everything else can wait

let it stop a while, let me watch you smile

and stay right here in this place

i don't think i'll be able to draw thranduil this good ever again omg

during their courtship there was so much happening around them but thranduil and elowen always found time to just relax and enjoy one another's company 🥺💛

#my ocs #thranduil #thranduil x oc #elowen anairiel #elowen x thranduil #silmarillion oc #tolkien oc #lotr oc #they’re cute and i have not been very kind to them 😮‍💨 #at some point i’ll talk more about them #but for now here is this for u all

[ola-the-clown]

lately, i have become entranced and ensnared by a very old fandom of mine, the Lord of the Rings; mainly due to one of my friends convincing me to read The Silmarillion (a feat I had not managed to accomplish back when I was but a wee clown) 💎

as such, i simply had to make an appropriate LotR/The Silm AU for my characters; with Mayu (and her brother, Masa) as elves — Maiyë & Maesdir —, and Cyn as a hobbit — Hiacynth. i tried going with the Tolkien convention of naming elves and hobbits, but while the name of a flower is a preexisting one, I cannot say the same for Sindarin and Quenya names. did my best, though 😅

what remains are their backstories, especially the elven ones. having read Quenta Silmarillion, i now possess much grander knowledge on the subject, alas, i have yet to make any progress — please, wish me luck 💖

in the meantime, i'll draw and hope the spirit of literal arts will possess & inspire me in the process 😊

#lotr oc #silmarillion oc #hobbit oc #elf oc #the silm fandom #silmarillion #the silmarillion #lord of the rings #lotr fandom #tolkien oc #digital art #original character art #my art

[sotwk]

Can you tell us more about Mirion's wife and children 👀

Hello Anon! I believe this is the second time you've asked me about Crown Prince Mirion and his family, and appreciate your interest so much. 🥰 Mirion is my personal favorite of the OC Thranduilions, so any inquiries about him are dear to me.

I have been keeping the details about Mirion's family under wraps for so long, but I no longer see a good reason to keep them secret, so here we go: some basic headcanon info that will hopefully satisfy your curiosity. 😉

For those who might care: some SotWK AU Spoilers ahead!

SotWK AU Headcanons: Crown Prince Mirion and his "Golden" Family

Although Mirion tragically died in his attempt to free his homeland from the Necromancer (his efforts did drive Sauron out of Dol Guldur for a time and gave Mirkwood four centuries of respite), he left behind a beautiful wife and two children to continue his legacy. His son gave Thranduil a new heir and continued hope for the future of their line and kingdom.

Because Mirion's wife was an Eldar of powerful lineage and incredible strength in her own right, she and their children helped Mirkwood to stay strong and protected through the dangers the realm faced in the Third Age.

And when Thranduil's grandchildren took over the rule of Eryn Lasgalen in the Fourth Age, it ushered in a new Golden Era for the last remaining Kingdom of Elves on Middle-earth.

MIRION'S WIFE - PRINCESS ITARILDË

SotWK Fancast: Teresa Palmer (A Discovery of Witches)

Mirion's wife is Princess Itarildë, an elleth with a rare mix of Noldor-Vanyar-Teleri blood with "royal" lineage on both sides of her family.

Itarildë’s mother is Nimeithel (a SotWK OC), the younger sister of Nimloth and niece of Celeborn.

Nimeithel is featured in my ongoing Thranduil x Maereth series, Sins of Our Fathers. She grew up with Thranduil in Doriath, and was the one who introduced him to Maereth.

Itarildë’s father is Maranwon (SotWK OC), the grandson of Glorfindel and his wife Elemírë (SotWK OC), who was the sister of Elenwë, late wife of King Turgon.

Itarildë has a high Eldar "pedigree" due to her lineage, but that was not what attracted Mirion to her. On the contrary, her noble background nearly caused the Crown Prince to decide against pursing her hand in marriage, despite their deep love for each other.

Before ever meeting Itarildë, Mirion had intended to choose his wife and future Queen among the Silvan elves of Greenwood, out of love for his people and his wish to honor the land's native race. (Something Thranduil was unable to do by marrying a Noldor.)

Mirion agonized over this conflict between his duty and his heart until his parents persuaded him to pursue his own happiness.

Itarildë is older than Mirion by a few decades, born in Lothlorien but raised in Rivendell. Her father died in the War of the Last Alliance fighting alongside his surrogate father, Gil-galad.

She takes after her father's side of the family; she is passionate, joyful, strong-willed, and has a radiant presence that commands and captivates every room she enters. She has a compassionate heart and a determination to effect good changes in the world.

She adores her husband's brothers and counsels and cares for them as an elder sister.

She is a fearless and skilled warrior (what else would you expect from the great-granddaughter of Glorfindel), who more than holds her own whenever she marches into battle alongside the princes.

It is later discovered that something about Itarildë’s presence causes the Spiders of Mirkwood to flee; just looking upon her somehow pains or deters them, and so they never attack her directly.

Mirion's death broke Itarildë and very nearly caused her to fade; she was brought back only by the healing efforts and pleas of her daughter. But her joyful spirit never recovered.

MIRION'S SON - PRINCE ARANION

SotWK Fancast: Bradley James (Merlin)

Aranion is the elder child of Mirion and Itarildë, making him the eldest grandchild of Thranduil and second-in-line to the throne of the Woodland Realm.

Upon Mirion's death, Aranion inherited the title of Crown Prince of Mirkwood. (This responsibility never fell to Legolas, which is why he remained free to travel, join the Fellowship, and and even sail to Valinor as he eventually did.)

After Maereth died, Thranduil became very focused on preparing Aranion for the throne, since he was then resolved to sail for Valinor and rejoin his wife--once the future of Mirkwood and his people had been secured with his grandson in place.

The name Aranion translates to "Son of the King" in Quenya, but the prince was actually named after the plant kingsfoil or athelas, also known as asëa aranion. Kingsfoil did not grow naturally in the Greenwood forest, since it thrived in the Western lands.

However, in the year of Itarildë's pregnancy with Aranion, kingsfoil began to sprout in abundance in the lands surrounding their home.

Although the Mirkwood Elves previously had no use for kingsfoil, later in the Third Age the plant became an vital resource in their healing for wounds inflicted by orcs and other beasts coming from Dol Guldur.

Aranion is utterly devoted to his homeland and the Silvan people of Mirkwood, a sentiment that they reciprocate with fierce love and loyalty. While not as politically-savvy as his forebears, he is a "people's prince", spending most of his days working alongside the common folk of the realm.

Although he is often compared to his great, great-grandfather Glorfindel, Aranion's cheerful, energetic, and light-hearted temperament is actually most similar to that of his uncle Legolas, to whom he was always very close.

The Prince is a fearless and naturally gifted fighter, whose innate talents were enhanced by centuries of intensive instruction and training from the greatest warriors on Middle-earth, including Thranduil and Glorfindel.

As the darkness worsened in the Third Age, Thranduil grew extremely protective of Aranion, increasing to paranoia at the loss of his wife and each of his sons. As decades passed the prince's very existence soon became unknown to outsiders, which was what Thranduil had intended.

By the events of the Hobbit, Aranion was forbidden from traveling outside of Mirkwood, and was not permitted to participate in the Battle of the Five Armies.

MIRION'S DAUGHTER - PRINCESS ANARIEL

SotWK Fancast: Gabriella Wilde (The Three Musketeers, Poldark)

Anariel is the younger child of Mirion and Itarildë and second grandchild of Thranduil and Maereth.

Beautiful and sweet beyond compare, she is very much the darling treasure of not only her grandfather Thranduil, but also of her loving uncles who have doted on her since she was a baby (probably because they never had a little sister of their own).

Unlike her boisterous older brother, Anariel is reserved, introverted, and avoids drawing attention to herself. She prefers to listen rather than speak.

Large crowds and excessive noises make her very uncomfortable, and it is possible she suffers from a mild form of sensory overload.

However, she very much carries the courage and willingness to serve that runs in her family, and devotes herself to the welfare of the people of Mirkwood.

Anariel is highly intelligent, much like her uncle Arvellas. Being a voracious reader and learner herself, she grew especially close to the Scholar Prince and gained knowledge and abilities from him.

She lived in Rivendell for periods of long years throughout the Third Age, during which she was mentored by Lord Elrond himself, and became skilled in the healing arts.

Anariel has actually already appeared in one of my WIP fics, although she was not yet named/identified. The first person to comment and tell me correctly which fic/character I am referring to, will receive a special prize from me from the Tumblr Market!

For more Thranduil/Mirkwood headcanons: SotWK HC Masterlist

Tolkien Headcanon tag list: @laneynoir @auttumnsayshi @achromaticerebus @tamryniel @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @blueberryrock @aduialel @glassgulls @ladyweaslette @klytemnestra13 @creativity-of-death @heilith @fizzyxcustard @absentmindeduniverse @lathalea @tamurilofrivendell @jordie-your-local-halfling @ladyk8tie @scyllas-revenge @asianbutnotjapanese @conversacomsmaug @lemonivall @ratsys @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @entishramblings @stormchaser819 @freshalmondpandadonut @beekieboo

Interested in more SotWK AU content?

Introduction to SotWK

My Headcanon Masterlist 

My Fanfiction Masterlist

#sotwk answers #sotwk headcanon #sotwk ocs #mirion thranduilion #crown prince mirion #thranduil #mirkwood elves #silmarillion oc #glorfindel #aranion #anariel #Itarildë #tolkien #tolkien ocs #the hobbit #legolas

[trucbiduleschouettes]

Realised I didn’t have enough dwarven ladies (or dwarf characters in general) so I decided to do something about it

[Do not use/repost]

#dwarf #silm oc #silmarillion OC #My OC #I need to. name her but it's almost 3am so that will wait #tolkien oc #Truc Draws

[sonneteer-fool]

@tolkienocweek Day 7 (27th August): Freeform /jumps under the closing gates the last moment/ I have 10 Tolkien OCs And very little time ::::`d I wish i could tell about every one of them but that s not in my powers for now. I hope throwing everything at once like that is not rude djirojdriojdriod

Lómenorto or Almenesta is a trickster and a Maia of Irmo. His task was generally to paralyse people during their sleep - which he finds very dull and boring. Therefore he either slacks (and that s why people sleepwalk) or send very weird dreams and nightmares (sleep paralysis basically). Tried to follow Melkor once - yet discovered he did not like being ordered around. Ended up constantly changing sides, sitting on two chairs at once. While he pretends to work for both the Valar and Melkor - he, in fact, just sabotages and annoys everyone. Loves everything silly.

Udhos of Harad was made for the Silmarillion Steampunk AU RP. He is an evil (?) alchemist who used to do errands for Sauron - yet grew dissapointed in his intrigues and tried to escape along with the prisoner he was assigned to torture (steampunk!Maedhros). Is generally very mean to everyone.

Raivo is a traveller from Forodwaith. Has a very cheery and chaotic character. The sword (or more like what was left from it) they are carrying was won in a fight with some icy Giant (according to Raivo's own words). They are interested in tales of dread and set off for their journey to write down every creepy legend they can hear in Middle-Earth. Are in search of a story that could actually scare them.

#tolkienocweek #tolkien #silmarillion #silm oc #tolkien oc #irmo #maiar #haradrim #forodwaith #silmarillion oc #my art

[eunoiaastralwings]

Lúthien & Lúthriel

@runawaymun omg hun this is beautiful - thank you so much for doing this for me. am in love your headcanon of the Sindar having native Paiutte roots - so wonderful omg 😭😍

Here's mama Lúthien with my oc Lúthriel (@luthriel-tinuviel).

#tolkien oc #tolkien art #the silmarillion #silmarillion #tolkien elves #the silm #Doriath #Lúthriel Tinuviel #Lúthien #luthien #doriath #dior eluchil #tol galen #silm oc #silmarillion oc #silmarillion art

[feanors-silmarils]

Art Commissions of my Tolkien OC's Manó and Aratacáno, Maiar of Námo and the Blue Istari done for me by the wonderful: @liusia-piu

#tolkien #silmarillion #manó #aratacáno #ainur #tolkien oc #silmarillion oc #ainur oc #maiar of mandos #namo mandos #halls of mano #silm art #silmarillion art #blue istari #istari

[cilil]

Femslash February

⬡ Prompt: Please be gentle & dancing (sweet bingo) | f!Glorfindel x Mentelossë (@elanna-elrondiel's OC) ⬡ Synopsis: The Lady of the House of the Golden Flower and her lover share a moment of joy, or: How the Lady nearly trashed her house before the Balrogs ever could ⬡ Warnings: / ⬡ Drabble

AN: A small gift for @elanna-elrondiel!

We decided to refer to f!Glorfy as Laurefindelë (which is the "normal" Quenya name) because we didn't want to change too much and felt like it was "ambiguous" as is. And to those wondering about the Quenya: It was in fact spoken in Gondolin.

The house of the Golden Flower was filled with merriment and laughter. 

Lady Laurefindelë, still clad in her golden armour, was dancing and twirling like a deer in spring, golden hair fluttering behind her. In her arms, held in the manner of a groom carrying their bride, was Lady Mentelossë, cheeks flushed and eyes wet from exuberant joy. 

"Careful!" she exclaimed when Laurefindelë spun around again, missing a vase by mere inches. "You will ruin the entire salon!" 

"I would lay the entire city to waste for you, my lady; nay, Angband itself!" Laurefindelë laughed and continued her merry dancing. 

Thanks for reading! ♡

#glorfindel #laurefindele #f!glorfindel #mentelosse #mentelossë #elf oc #silmarillion oc #glorfindel x mentelosse #wlw #femslash #silm fanfic #silmarillion fanfiction #silmarillion #cílil writes #my writing #femslash february

[ladyofthestarlight]

Feanor and my OC Valaros, daughter of Feanor

#silmarillion #the silmarillion #silm #the silm #Tolkien #elves #valinor #feanor #feanorians #sons of feanor #house of feanor #valaros #oc #elf oc #silmarillion oc #original character #daughter of feanor

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

A new life

Day 2 prompts: Exploration

For: @silmarillionepistolary

Rating: General Audience

Character: Finarfin

Epistolary format: Journal entries and letter

Themes: Soft | Fluff | Exploration

Warnings: None

Wordcount: 2.1K words

Summary: Finarfin writes about his journey to Alqualondë, his first impressions of the city and the royal family.

A/n: OC name meanings

Lirulinwë, a Noldor Captain of Finwë's Household Guards - Lirulin: Lark | wë (suffix generally used for male names)

Eärerossë, wife of Olwë and Queen of Alqualondë - Eäre (a variation  of Eär, Sea) | Rossë (foam)

This is also available on AO3

Ingoldo Arafinwë’s journal

51st day of Y.T. 1278— The journey to Alqualondë was not long, but others say that there were a great many things to see along the way. I have often traveled west with my father and mother and the others, to Ilmarin and Valimar and beyond, but never have I traveled east. My mother told me all that she knew of the city and the lords and ladies that dwelled within it. She assured me I would find no cause for disappointment, and I did not doubt her in this.  

She came to Tirion’s square to bid me farewell, as did my father and sisters and full brother, and all the others. Of my half-brother Fëanáro, I saw little. He attended the feast my father held in honor of my new station as his ambassador in King Olwë’s court, albeit very briefly. He ate little, drank even less, and chiefly spoke with his own wife. Then he made his excuses and departed, but others from his family—my sister by marriage and my nephews, his sons—remained. I had held on to the hopes of some deeper understanding, of my half-brother and I meeting on middle ground, but as the years pass, that hope grows smaller and smaller, and I fear Fëanáro and I will only ever be brothers by blood, and not brothers by bond.  

“Pray do not take Fëanáro’s indifference to heart,” my mother said in comfort. “He is an elf grown, and must choose his friends and acquaintances without interference from others. Set your eyes on your new task and your new life. Alqualondë will reward you in many ways; wait and see.” 

“Write to us as often as you can, my son,” my father added, “and remember me to Olwë when you see him.” 

“I will remember you to your dear friend,” I swore. “And I will write to you all, father. You have my word on this. Farewell!”

51st day of Y.T. 1278.— What a difference a day’s journey makes! Already, the great tower and white walls and sparkling sands of Tirion are behind us, and the Calacirya is on either side of us. A great river split the land between the mountain passes, and it flowed directly into the Bay of Eldamar. I will be remiss if I do not mention that the pass is more than what it appears to be. Jewels of all shapes and hues can be found jutting out of exposed rock, and they glitter like lamps of a thousand shades when light from the Trees falls upon them. We halted briefly to rest, and I took this opportunity to carve out as many slivers as I could find. I will send these to my mother and sisters. Irimë in particular loves such jewels, and they will, no doubt, adorn her chambers and her garments in one form or another.

Later, during the waning of Laurelin and the mingling of the lights—We rested briefly again on the edge of the shore, this time to have a meal, and with Tol Eressëa within our sight. Even from afar, the lamps of Avallónë, Tathrobel and Cortirion could be seen with our eyes. All gold and silver, they glittered like stars in the heavens.

“Do many people still live there?” I asked.

“Aye, my lord,” replied Lirulinwë, a captain of Father’s household guards. He knelt beside the fire and roasted the fish we caught from the river. Another warrior was passing around cups of mulled wine. “Mariners, mostly. And nobles hailing from the city, whenever they are in need of respite.”

The captain was chosen to lead the warriors escorting me and the gifts I was tasked to carry to Alqualondë. I saw no need for so many lavish gifts or such precautions; Lord Melkor has been safely confined to Lumbi, and Alqualondë is a prosperous city. Nevertheless, my father, bless him, still insisted on it.  It would not do, he said, for his ambassador and a prince of the Noldor to arrive in another king’s fair city with empty hands and without a proper escort. Olwë might think poorly of us for it. And I am not ashamed to say that I yielded to his entreaty. Father is troubled enough as it is; I have no desire to add to the many cares weighing down on his shoulders.

“What if I wish to go there?” I inquired after accepting my wine.

The captain made himself comfortable on the sand after passing plates of the cooked fish. “Simply ask the king, my lord; I am certain he will agree to arrange a ship to take you.” 

A ship. One of the fabled swan ships, no less, with their white sails and their beaks of gold and eyes of gold and jet. Many songs have been sung of them, and now I get to see them and even sail in one of them.

“Perhaps I shall,” I returned, and we turned our attention to our supper.

It was a pleasant thing to sit and talk and laugh and break bread with the others. We listened to tales of those old enough to remember the Great Crossing, the many perils they faced leaving Cuiviénen. They regaled us with songs from that time, and then we all stopped, astonished, when singing sweeter than anything we had ever heard carried over the waves.

These were the voices of the Oarni and the Falmaríni, sea spirits that served Ossë and Uinen. Lirulinwë said these spirits are rarely seen in Alqualondë. The city and harbour are too loud, more often than not. They preferred the tranquility of Tol Eressëa instead.

The singing stopped, and the air felt strangely empty for it. “They will start up again, my lord,” Lirulinwë assured me. “Perhaps we should sing again. That might encourage them.”

I decided against my yearning to hear more. We could not tarry for much longer. The king awaited us.

Letter from Ingoldo Arafinwë to Queen Indis

52nd day of Y.T. 1278.—

“Beloved mother,—

“You will rejoice to learn that all is well with us. Our journey was a peaceful one, and we arrived just as Laurelin reached her greatest bloom. Even from outside the gates, Alqualondë is a vision to behold, and I will write to you and father on all that I see and find after I have met with the king. Pray give my love to the others.”

“Your loving son,

“Ingoldo.”

Ingoldo Arafinwë’s journal

52nd day of Y.T. 1278, during the waning of Laurelin — King Olwë greeted me with a hearty bellow upon my arrival.

“Son of Finwë!” He cried and embraced me. The gifts I brought with me were to be given later, when I was alone with the family. “Be welcome in my home!”

His home was a graceful and enchanting palace made out of white marble. Of pearls and jewels, there were aplenty. They adorned doorways and windows, columns and vaulted halls, lamps, and candlesticks. I have come to a city of great wealth, and it showed in the rich splendor I found in the palace.

King Olwë smiled warmly when I pressed a letter from my father into his hand. “I will read this later,” he said, and he passed the letter onto his steward. “Now come and meet the rest of my family.”

The king graciously led me into a vast receiving hall where his family and members of the court had gathered. He presented me to his queen, the lady Eärerossë, first.

“Welcome to Alqualondë, Ingoldo Arafinwë, son of Finwë.” Her words were like warm honey. My mother once said the women of the Teleri could rival the spirits of the sea with the sweetness of their voice. She also warned me to take care where the queen was concerned. Eärerossë was unforgiving, she had said, to those who wounded her or the ones she loved. “We have all heard so much of you. If there is anything you need to increase your comfort, please do not hesitate to ask.”

I thanked her profusely, and the king motioned for the others to come forward. His sons were many, almost as many as the sons of Ingwë. Then came the lords and ladies of his court, and finally, after I was introduced to them, King Olwë raised a hand toward a lady hiding in the shadows, urging her to come forth. 

“This, my lord and prince,” he said with pride, “is my only daughter, the princess Eärwen.”

“My lady.” I bowed as deeply and respectfully as I could.

“My lord,” she said, dipping in a curtsy in return. Her voice was unlike her mother’s; it reminded me of a clear stream. “My lord father has spoken to us a great deal about your sire and your kin. If you are not weary from your journey, I would like to show you something of our city.”

I lifted my gaze, and it was then that I truly saw her. Molten silver hair and eyes as blue as brilliant jewels greeted me first, followed by a smile that could have warmed even the coldest of hearts. For a single, breathtaking moment, I could not speak or even think. The gossips all said that the Swanmaiden of Alqualondë was a glorious vision made flesh, and for once, I was grateful that they were correct. Someone cleared their throat; it was the king, I think. Clarity came back to me in a rush, and then I recalled where I was, and who I was with. I remembered my courtesies and made haste to say, “My thanks, my lady.”

“Splendid, my lord. I will send word to the stables and ask them to ready our swiftest horses.”

Not long after, we rode out of the palace and into the city. Mountains lay to the north and west, and, much to my own surprise, there was more than one forest as well. Princess Eärwen told me they are all well stocked, and hunters never want for game. She invited me to join her and her brothers on their next hunt. I agreed, thinking it would be a most opportune time to learn of King Olwë’s children.

Another aspect of the city that caught my eye were the roofs and doors and shutters of all the manses. They were all deep blue. Even the many lamps of the city were inlaid with deep blue crystals. Pearls and jewels adorned the many walls and fountains and terraces we passed, and on closer inspection, I found that the path we were on comprised chiefly of blocks of white coral. Many of the city’s paths were made of white coral, as were parts of the walls that lined the canal that threaded its way through the city.  

The princess was kind enough to lead me down to the Haven of Swans so I could take a closer look at their ships. There were the beaks of gold and the eyes of jet. There were the pristine white sails bearing the heraldry of the noble Houses of this city. King Olwë’s ship was kept apart from the others.

“That is the sigil of our House,” Princess Eärwen gestured to what was emblazoned on the main sail. “Waves with a crowned star high above them. Father thought it fitting, given the love the Teleri hold for the sea. There are many tales of the great ocean crossing. You will hear some of them later, at the feast.”

“I hear it is to be aboard your father’s ship?” The ship made especially for the king was larger than all of the others, but could it hold a great many people?

“Yes.” The princess dug her heels into her horse, urging it forward, and I did the same. We rode closer to the many piers that dotted the Haven, and I kept silent while she called out to the mariners she knew. “But only for our family and members of my father’s council. We will take the ship out into the water while we dine. There will be minstrels and mummers and even a fire dancer. If we are truly fortunate, the Oarni and Falmaríni might join us.”

“I hear you can speak their words, my lady.”

“I can, my lord. My brothers, too. My mother encouraged us to learn. Perhaps I could teach you, if you like. It is quite hard, almost as hard as Valarin, but the words are so beautiful to listen to.”

“I hope I will not disappoint you with my efforts, my lady.”

“I am certain you will not.”

We rode on, guiding our horses past the Haven and onto the beach. The sand was like gold. Even the palm trees were gilded. There were more jewels everywhere, even in the little rock pools elflings swam in. My heart felt lighter here and freer. Perhaps my mother was right. Alqualondë could indeed reward me in many ways, and I must be patient enough to see what they are.

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