Not glutted on misery already, Dragonhelm? Dost thou also require a rope to hang thyself with?
Here: a gift that cannot possibly harm thee! Try not to murder thy friends with it, if thou art able.
For you my handsome leatherwing, a pin for thy cloak, or a comb for thine hair, should it grow wild. Indeed, if thou growest too wild, this shall calm thee, and inherit thy wrath for another hour. So too will thy glamor demand no effort to maintain while it remains upon thy breast, and a perfect semblance of life shalt thou have, even to the most piercing eyes.
But it must feed nightly– nurse it with blood, thy own or another’s, or else find thyself slave to wild instincts, and a hunger that distinguishes not from friend or foe.
Remember: keep it fed!
Haunting Driftwood Sculptures By Japanese Artist Nagato Iwasaki
Nagato Iwasaki is one of those artists you don’t know much about. But his art talks for itself.
The Japan-based artist creates incredible driftwood sculptures. Each of his human-shaped figures can both mesmerize and scare you. The artist manages to create an uneasy feeling using nothing but wood and you can be sure, that if you’d stumble upon one of these sculptures at night, you’d go sleepless for days.
More info: nagato-iwasaki.com | Facebook
Ah, king of the Greenwood. We meet again.
I note your quaint realm is holding up well amidst the turmoil of this warlike Age…. no thanks to your neighbors, high and proud elves that they are.
Were I you, I might find myself asking why their kingdoms should be untouched, untraceable, while yours must suffer wear and war. Guards patrol ceaselessly to keep your borders sound, while the strongholds of these others are kept secret and impenetrable… (I know this, for I cannot find them myself! But it does not take a wizard to know that they do exist: there are three missing pieces to a puzzle, and three places left empty on the board that all my scouts and armies cannot fill.)
Why not yours, Thranduil? Why should not your realm be elevated from the mists of darkness, immune to the ravages of time? Why should you divide your forces always, while these vain lords sally forth to war, homes shielded from harm and intrusion as the old realm of Doriath? Are they greater than you? More worthy? Their kin more precious?
If only you had some power akin to theirs, to even the playing field… a prize that would raise the Greenwood from a rustic realm to a mighty stronghold, equal to the kingdoms of the Elder Days!
Perhaps if you were to go looking quite carefully amidst the ruins of Eregion, you would find something to aid you; something powerful and forgotten. Less perilous it must be than the Great Rings that vanished, if it were left behind! But still potent enough to merit the attention of a king. And are you not wise and strong? Surely your will is more than a match for the wiles of a trinket.
Wouldn’t it look lovely upon your finger?
Lord Vala…!
I can offer you nothing save an appeal for mercy, for I have no gift worthy of the King of Dreams. I could not, nor would I dare, offer you a gift tainted by sorcery or malice. How would a Maia even do so?
Please accept this, a humble token from one who, though estranged, is yet a child of Aulë. Insufficient as it may be, I pray it brings you some amusement:
Its leaves are carved of nephrite, its fruits are rubies, at at the center of each tiny star flower is a chip of diamond. You will find amidst the leaves a secret mechanism, disguised as one of its berries. Press it, and a little bird will emerge from the topmost branches and sing to you.
If it pleases you, Lord Irmo, perhaps you will look kindly on my Master; for he walks more often in your gardens now, and I know his dreams are troubled.
// No problem anon! 🙂
“Corrupting Jewelry From Sauron” is a prompt I’ve recycled on this blog a few times. Here is the original post with the guidelines.
I definitely recommend checking out the #Untrustworthy Gifts Meme tag on my blog to see past responses! They’re some of my favorites. :3
last inktober things(30+31)!
it’s next part of hobbit-landscapes that i drew for last yearinktober………………
this year I drew places from The Fellowship of the Ring :3
Why, hello again, beautiful! Everyone’s crazy for my smith, but ~surprise!~, you get me instead! Don’t be too put out; you came calling for Doom, and I’ve got just the thing! Here’s a jazzy little number I cooked up for you:
Every time your atrocious brood kills one of my children– be it orc, dragon, or Balrog– I’m going to eat a Noldor captive. That’s right! Whole and wriggling. We’ve got quite a few cluttering up the dungeons these days.
But not too many!
I hate to bring it up, you being a recent widow and all, but we currently have one of your boys in custody. The eldest, I believe? It pains me to say, but I’ll simply have to put him on the menu if we run out of Noldor! And don’t think I don’t have my eye on the rest of the pack– I plan on collecting all seven. I’ll have the two little ones as a set, for brunch.
From one mother to another, you understand, don’t you? Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, child for a child….
IT’S ONLY FAIR, ISN’T IT? THINK TWICE ABOUT FEUDING WITH ME BEFORE YOU RUN OUT OF FAMILY.
Oh ho, do not think you can wriggle out on a technicality! I will write the letter and the law– If I choose the nature of the dance to be performed with the full extent of your power, then so be it. …But of course, I may simply ask for an evening of pleasant waltzing. Time will tell.
Take care with those loopholes! Ah, and take care with your phrasing as well; not even I know the full extent of my power, and I doubt you would like it should I come to a more permanent harm just dancing for you. What if I could not do the same ever again?
Don’t get too ahead of yourself little one. There is nothing yet for you to find a loophole in.
Of course I shall take care not to injure you with some careless demand! But how I exact my due will be up to me; I need not debate it with you before then.
Twist and turn around the wording all you like for now, but if it comes to a contest of wills between us at the time of repayment, I will take what is owed me. I was serious when I said to think carefully before accepting… I do not plan on letting an opportunity this valuable slip away– even if the better part of the arrangement is purely for our amusement. (In truth I did not think you would have many qualms about allowing me a kiss or three, or I would not have asked it.)
I do like you, Mitsanár. I do not wish to ensnare you to wicked purpose, or set after you like a hunter with a trap; but a power like yours is too unique to ignore, and the task I’ve set will likely take every resource I can secure if it is to succeed.
…May we not forget such matters until they arrive, and in the moment enjoy a dance together? I should be happy to sing for you.
“What dost thou fear most, captain of the Greenwood? Not spider’s sting nor Orc arrow, nor not even dragon fire– for we have seen thee in battle, and we know thou art lion-hearted. No, thy greatest fear is not for thyself, but the harm that might come to thine home, thy kinsmen.
Go now to the darkest part of the forest, where the stones lie haunted and no bird sings. There thou wilt find a sword, its blade both light and keen.
When those thou lovest best are in peril, draw it from its scabbard, and thy enemies will fall like wheat beneath the scythe. It will carry thee swifter to their defense than lightning, and its edge will carve wings through the air until all threat has perished, and every charge is free from danger. Thou wilt feel no pain, no weariness; thine heart will know no fear.
Perhaps thou wilt notice (or perhaps thou wilt not), that with each unsheathing, the threat of peril creeps nearer; foes are cut down, while more treacherous ones rise in their place– enemies with familiar faces, and unsuspected treason in their hearts. And when those, too, thou has felled, even those who fight beside thee will seem not above suspicion.
Finally, when thy silver blade is red as red, and thy hand trembles to sheath it even for an hour, thou wilt consider: those thou lovest are a peril to themselves; the dead alone fear nothing, and can come to no more harm.
That is my gift to thee, spidersbane, wolf-killer. Take it with my blessing.”
“Ah, not just anything that glitters will impress Aulendur Mitsanár, will it? You will be wanting something unique, something you cannot make yourself, won’t you, forge-spark?
I have something that might interest you– and I know you have seen nothing of the kind, for I developed the technique myself:
Did you know, you can facet pearls? Of course, many have carved pearls, but carving is to the detriment of its luster; faceting enhances it.
One must be very careful, as with a gemstone, or the nacre will be spoilt, and it is best to choose pearls with the thickest layer. A finely cut example will leave the looker wondering if the cuts are concave or convex; a poorly cut one will simply look like pockmarks.
If you wish to study them and learn how this is done, they are yours– the rings are not enchanted, and they bear no curse, however, they do come at a cost:
A song, a dance, and a kiss for each is my price, the nature and time of which shall be of my choosing. Think carefully if you wish to accept– it may be more than you bargained for.”
x-Designer Ilgiz Fazulzyanov x-“midnight comet” x- sweatpea
Why, Little Storm! Had I known it was the occasion of your birthday, I would have sent a surprise much earlier!
Here: I have made you pretty pet.
Though he is made of gold, he sings much more beautifully than a real peacock (if you have never met such a bird, take my word for it that their voices are quite loud and raucous, whereas yours shall sound like a chorus of little bells).
His cage may be opened and he can fly about with ease; emeralds are his eyes, and they can see quite clearly in day or night. You may teach him all sorts of tricks, and he will remember them. Aside from singing, he has a limited store of words with which me might report to you what he has seen. I thought perhaps, if you are bored on your little island, he might fly ashore and gather some sights and baubles to entertain you with.
Now Laumë, if you wake in the middle of the night and find that his cage is empty, do not fear: he is only out for a midnight flight. He must sometimes exercise his wings, so the mechanisms do not grow rusty– and perhaps to perform certain errands that you needn’t worry yourself about. Your pet will be home by morning, unless he is waylaid by weather; he is programmed to always return to his cage, wherever it may be.
I hope he makes you happy. If he ever needs tuning, I will send you the necessary tools for repair. Your a clever girl, and you have Mitsanar to help you with the magic bits.
Yours, Ever,
Uncle Thû.
MisbehavingMaiar: Tumblr Archive 