Try Saruman the White

OH WE’RE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN TOGETHER CURUMO, YOU SCAMP. 

I love Saruman dearly, because he is a Miscreant™. 

My headcanons are as follows: 

Curumo starts life as one of Aulë’s six highsmiths, who work in the Great Forge under Admirable-One, the forgemaster (aka Mairon). He’s never been totally comfortable with being Daddy’s Second-or-Third-or-Maybe-Fourth Favorite Maia, and when tension starts to break out between Mairon and Aulë, he sees this as an Opportunity to start sucking up to authority by being…. just…. SO obedient and dutiful; not like that bad, naughty, rebellious Mairon with his IDEAS and BAD COMPANY. By the time Mairon does finally leave Aulë, Curumo has positioned himself to take over his duties as Forgemaster.  Except, the work on Arda is basically finished by then, and he doesn’t have any especially epic duties to perform, and it’s obvious to everyone that he’s just not the same caliber of Maia, or smith, that Mairon was. 

He hates this. so. much. But it’s desperately important to him to seem completely at peace with being left in charge of more menial duties and unglamorous tasks while everyone waits for the Children to appear. 

When the Valar move to Aman, they have to build a new Great Forge, and Curumo is ecstatic because finally now maybe he’ll get to oversee something Important. The new Great Forge is mostly an institute of teaching and creating things to aid the elves, so Curumo becomes a mentor of elven smiths rather than a foreman to his fellow Maiar. –This OF COURSE doesn’t annoy him EVEN A LITTLE BIT, that he’s been demoted to teaching Noldor carpenters how to make hinges that don’t squeak. Because he’s SO HAPPY TO HELP and OBEY and SERVE with NO THOUGHT to his own esteem or reputation as an Aulendur. …Also, is it just him, or are some of these Noldor smiths really, really good? like, better than him, maybe. Even though, how could they be HAHA! They’re just. Making new unthought of totally impossible things that even the Valar want. Huh. 

But I’m being a little harsh. He does fine! Great, actually! He knows a lot about stuff, maybe not as MUCH as Mairon knew about smithing, but he’s a pretty good teacher! Maybe a little condescending, maybe a little impatient at times, but the elves do learn a lot from him! 

It’s a shame that nothing he does really seems to be important or interesting enough for Aulë or the other Valar to notice. Which is weird, because as we’ve noted, he has been THE MOST OBEDIENT, LOYAL, DUTIFUL, HELPFUL, USEFUL, KNOWLEDGABLE MAIA EVER. And he’s VERY well dressed. And SO tidy. And he has THE MOST tools, in mint condition! And he absolutely hasn’t been hoarding everything of Mairon’s that he can get his hands on, or eavesdropping on anyone who mentions him, or constantly comparing himself to him. 

After the Silmarils are stolen and the thing with Fëanor blows over, Curumo has whole AGES to be the best and most influential smith in Aman! Almost! Definitely in the top ten! Well, he’s definitely the most important smith, because he’s in charge of so many things. He runs a VERY prestigious Academy of Learned Maiar and elves, where they discuss Theory and Praxis and Engineering. Many of the devices they dream up stay on the drawing board because in Aman there’s not a great deal of need for technological advancement. It’s almost a shame there’s not more use for heavy construction equipment in paradise…. 

Eventually the Third Age rolls around and with it, the initiative to go into Middle Earth to deal with the problem of Sauron, and oh. my. god. Finally. Finally, they realize– it’s him. It’s always been him. Curumo– the Wise, the White, the Cunning, the MAGNIFICENT; obviously the most suited and well equipped for Leadership! Now he can turn his unparalleled knowledge of other people’s work into social currency! 

Finally, it’s his opportunity to show everyone how much better he is than Mairon– who hasn’t been here for more than ten thousand years, but Aulë still sighs and cries about; who gave into Base Temptations and Moral Weakness and left his appointed duties before they’d even begun– Duties SOMEONE had to take over, Duties that SHOULD have brought fame and recognition to those who selflessly championed them, if only everyone wasn’t infatuated with the mere MEMORY of his potential… I’ll show you. I’ll show everyone how much more clever and learned and Admirable I am than you ever were. Then you’ll be so jealous. THEN you’ll have to notice me and tell me how important and smart I am. I’ll learn everything you ever knew and MORE and then you’ll be USELESS and outdated and everyone will thank me for defeating you and bringing about a new golden age of knowledge and industry. Yes… YES!

It’s the recognition he knows he’s always deserved, and he’s just so happy to help. 

lendmyboyfriendahand:

You know what I just realized?

It never says that
Ingwë,
Finwë and Elwë

were leaders before Oromë

took them to Valinor.

“Therefore Oromë was sent again to
them, and he chose from among them ambassadors who should go to Valinor
and speak for their people; and these were Ingwë,
Finwë and Elwë, who afterwards were kings.”
Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor, the Silmarillion

That’s our introduction to them.  The Vanyar, Noldor, and Teleri are described as the “kindred” of 
Ingwë,
Finwë and Elwë

respectively, not their subjects.  They certainly led those who undertook the Great Journey, but there’s no reason to believe they were the chieftains beforehand.

Why then were they the ones chosen as ambassadors? Because everyone else was terrified, and they were the only ones willing to follow the incredibly dangerous strange being, each for their own reason.

Ingwë

went because he saw the light of Aman reflected in
Oromë’s face, and wished to see the light in truth. He recognized the light as Good and Holy, and knew that the Valar would not harm him.

Finwë went in search of knowledge. Here was a being unlike any other known to elves, from a place likewise completely unknown.
Oromë claimed that the Valar would share knowledge with them, but even if that turned out to be false, there would still be much to discover.

Elwe went because he has a huge xeno kink. The presence of actual non-elf sapient beings, that unlike orcs wouldn’t try to kill him, meant that he had to check out Aman.

Try Manwë

This is terrifying because I do actually have to try and write/draw Manwë convincingly for my comic and he’s very intimidating to approach. >m> I’ve been lucky enough to be spoiled by a very good Manwë roleplayer whose interpretations will probably always color my own, so there’s a lot to live up to. 

…BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, I will leak this super-secret found-footage blurry-cryptid photo of my Manwë design. 

image

Now, is this just Tilda Swinton in a Bigbird costume? Who’s to say. 

____

The thing about Manwë is, he’s doing his best. I really feel for the guy! He’s never been in charge of sentient life before! No one has! It’s hard and he does his best and when his best isn’t enough, things go terribly, terribly wrong and it’s his responsibility to sort it out. And he just wants everyone to be happy. He tries so hard. And people look to him for answers because he is the only one who still sometimes hears the voice of Eru, who is otherwise quiet– but they don’t understand the answers he brings back. “What do you mean, you asked God, and the answer is ‘it’s complicated’??”  Yes, sorry. That’s just how it is. 

But the other thing about Manwë is that it’s not difficult for him to understand the ineffable. He already grasps the simultaneity of free will and predestination, he has unshakable faith in the Theme because he saw it so much more clearly than anyone else, he trusts in the grace of the One, he loves the individual and the whole, and has no difficulty being in the world but not of it. What he has trouble with is explaining to others what is instinctual for him. If a child asks him “why is there sadness?” and he responds “because of a greater harmony that you will never witness”, it sounds patronizing, cold. But for Manwë it is a self evident truth, and knowing it does not make him less sympathetic to the plight of the living, but what else is there to say? He cannot lie. He doesn’t know how. 

Manwë is not easy to relate to. He keeps himself above the world and does not partake of many earthly pleasures except the appreciation of music and natural beauty and the joy of flying. To observe the world is a great pleasure in itself; he watches and listens and loves and understands from this great distance, and he is not lonely, for Varda is as contemplative and far-seeing as he is, and they understand each other perfectly, rejoicing in each other and what they see; but he is often troubled. Manwë has faith in the design of the One, but perhaps less faith in his own completion of that design. So much goes wrong, so many suffer, as a direct result of him trying to do good. He knows he cannot see everything, that he is fallible. Every decision he makes has the potential to harm, including inaction– What can he do but try his best? and act according to what he understands of the Theme, the source of all order and life and love. 

He loves his brother very much. They were born in the same thought, but they run parallel and opposite to one another; they will never meet again in understanding until one bends towards the other. Neither can bring themselves to compromise. They reach a stalemate every time they try. They come to define themselves by their opposition to the other’s temperament– but you can still see what makes them twins in the mind of Eru, if you know what to look for. They live in each other’s anger, their love, the scope of their comprehension, their deep contemplation. 

Sometimes, if he does not catch himself, Manwë does question his maker, does doubt his understanding of the Theme. And sometimes, in a moment of quiet, Melkor forgets to argue with universe and finds peace in the design of things. The moments do not last, because doubt brings Manwë closer to Melkor and his rebellion, and Melkor cannot trust or forgive, because it would mean admitting to one of Manwë’s truths. They are each the missing piece to the other’s puzzle, and the picture on the box is the full scope of Eru’s design. If they could put it together, everything would make sense. But they can’t– and in a weird, ineffable way, that’s part of an even bigger puzzle that only makes sense in four dimensions. 

thepioden
replied to your post “who is the twink-est tolkien character?”

Counterpoint: Maeglin is a smith and a Nolofinwion and therefore a twunk at worst. I nominate Elu Thingol as twinkiest, as he was named after his fashion sense and lives for The Drama and has the dumbest and most anti-climactic jewelry-related death in the whole legendarium.

1) buff Maeglin is just Kylo Ren 

2) The things you have described do not a twink make 

3) did Thingol take your lunch money or something? what is this

who is the twink-est tolkien character?

God… probably Maeglin, which is only tolerable because he’s goth. Young Fingon is also a strong contender but he hunks up later so that’s fine. ….Legolas? It might be Legolas. 

Dear Lord Melkor, who does your hair? And uh, for that matter how does it work? Have you ever tied it back? Do you like when people brush it or fluff their hands through it or is that the sort of thing that would get them lit on fire? Here is a jar of honey for your time please do not murder me on the way out.

Fewer questions, more petting. 

…but since you asked nicely with sweets: I enjoy the brushing VERY much, and, I do it myself. Though “do” is probably too strong a verb. My hair is… therefore I am?

A bit more on the top if you would. Mind the crown. 

Are elves and men of same species in your verse?

Not physically, no. I would argue that since they share the same divine primogenitor they’re distantly related in spirit, but I think it’s neat that they have a different purpose on Arda than humans do. The fact that humans and elves have completely different motivations and fears on both a physical and spiritual level, yet still manage to find common ground and mutual interest in each other is fascinating! 

Though to be sure, I’ve also seen the opposite view (that humans and elves are the same/similar species) represented in fanworks and it can be equally compelling.

…I just like to think of it as Eru throwing a lot of spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick in terms of viable formats for sentient species. 

hi hi your art and designs and concepts and writing? A+++. You have caused me to like characters I do not like. I bow before your talent. Thank you!

TYhisel;fkj :SDLKjfl SDUFLKCjuk;sdur;idnskg;laskdnf dsafukcksan:ASDFJ

Wouldn’t it have been fun to keep Pharazon as a ring-wraith? As a servant? They say powerful men have an urge to be dominated.

Is that what they say? 

It is true that powerful men frequently have the urge to cede the semblance of dominance; “lead me on a chain, make me your servant, do what you will with me, tell me I am lowly”, they’ll beg, but will take up the reigns and whip again should your “dominance” not align with their desires. They do not know what it is to serve, or truly submit one’s self; they recognize no master but their own ego.

This is what makes them easy to manipulate; you have only to convince them that an idea is theirs, and they will follow it without question. Powerful men are ever ready to believe they are the origin of all their designs and fortunes.

I can say for certain that for a time it was entertaining to keep him as a servant, though he did not recognize himself as such. Our farce continued for nearly a century before his demise, and by then it had long since ceased to amuse me. At the end he was old, frightened and quivering in the face of his own mortality. He obeyed my every word without question, reliant on my decisions out of habit. I needed no ring to keep him a slave to my will, no more than a nursemaid would to keep an invalid dependent on her care.  

I hardly need such a servant for all eternity… Though if our fates had been reversed all those years ago, it might have been a different story. A brazen young conqueror at my disposal, at the height of his powers, in control of that glittering sea of an army… such a hand would indeed have made a proud seat for one of the nine. 

thoughts on Maedhros (sorry. I have a one tracked mind at the moment)

The more traumatized, the better. >:3

I like my Maedhros with a cold fire burning under him, weary yet sleepless, stoic but precariously perched on the knife’s edge of mania. He maintains control over his surroundings in order to maintain control of the fractures inside him; that frenzied loss of Self he fears more than any army of orcs, more than a thousand deaths, though it comes for him every night. Discipline is his anchor, his raft in the storm. He wishes it were love– he would not be alive without it, and it mends him when he cracks, but it cannot bear him up alone anymore. 

It is love that makes him desperate, love that curdles into fear and viciousness when danger threatens– and it always threatens. He attacks in order to protect; that is what he tells himself. It is easier to charge than to defend, and less painful in failure. But there is a never-ending supply of enemies, and each loss takes something more from him, until there is nothing left to protect at all but a legacy, and then not even that. 

Hi! I just wanted to ask, do you have any headcanons for what happened to the first elves to awaken? Specifically, Imin, Tata, and Enel? Thank you for your reply in advance!

I….. don’t! :O  I’m shocked and horrified by my own lack of headcanons!

I have some vague ideas about the first awakened elves and their lives before meeting the Valar, surviving in the dark world with only terrible creatures and the stars– but nothing I could really pick details out of yet, no real firm grasp of individual personalities. Most of my headcanons about that whole epoch have to do with Melkor and Sauron’s thoughts on the newly awakened elves, which can be summarized as “raw materials”. 

I know this is a rich vein that other writers and artists get a lot of inspiration from, and I must defer to them for the time being. If I get any more specific headcanons on the first elves, I’ll try to put them on paper for you. 

For His Dark Majesty – Thoughts on lesser Umaiar running amok in the Throne Room? For Lord Thû – Thoughts on lesser Umaiar running amok in the Foundry/Forge?

“I think that sounds like business as usual. Isn’t that what throne rooms are for? What’s the point of being Lord of Arda if you can’t throw frenzied, orgiastic parties in your own living room on a daily basis? What is this, Taniquetil? Who do you think I am??”

____

“Don’t.” 

Have you seen Lindsay Ellis’s magnificent two-part video essay (which became a trilogy at the last minute GET IT) about the Hobbit trilogy? -Some-Dude-with-a-Cat, who has quit Tumblr for the moment

I HAVE AND SHE’S BRILLIANT 

(if you look very very closely, for a split second you can actually see some of my ancient ass melkor concept art in the google-image search she does when referencing…. dark lord shipping. is this fame? have i peaked? I think I’ve peaked guys) 

Hello! I know Tolkien left it open to interpretation what happens to human souls after death but in your personal opinion what’s the deal? What are your headcanons about it?

This is a tough one! The boring answer is that my headcanon for the fate of mortals after death in Tolkien-verse is…. pretty much just whatever happens to mortals after death. 

More specifically, I think the humans and other mortals of Middle Earth have a variety of beliefs about what happens to their spirits after death but no one knows for sure. (…Of course, the one MAJOR difference between Arda and the IRL is that human souls in Tolkien-verse can manifestly be detained from the afterlife, and otherwise bound to certain tasks or fates. But temporary postponements aside–)

I think the ambiguity of what happens after death, the mystery of it, is an important unknown; it’s the biggest question mark, the only question mark that matters to many characters and philosophies. Life and Death are exclusively the province of Eru, who remains silent; everyone else is fallible, childlike facing the universe, including the Valar.  I think the fate of mortals being a mystery, and conversely, the source of life being a mystery, is invisibly at the heart of the Silmarillion and its dramas. 

I do have a second answer that’s more story-specific, and that is that the Arda of the books is a trial-run of Earth, and that after the foretold Second Music rolls around, everyone who endured the first cycle will have a second run as mortals. They may not be the same specific people they once were, but rather the same collective energy and souls, variously rehoused. I’m trying very hard not to say “the lifestream”, but it’s like…. the lifestream. This is the Story Specific answer because I really really really need that human-ainur redemption arc. >_>

…And on a like SUPER META and personal level, I think human spirits are withdrawn back to the source of the Fire, where they cease to be isolated entities and return to a collective and holistic state of Being; not separate yet not alone, unburdened by whatever transpired during their lives. In truth, a gift– but only once one leaves behind the value of ‘selfhood’.     

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