Curufinwë, I have a special gift for you: nothing so insulting as a cursed ring or necklace, but a manuscript of which there is only one copy, whose maker is as unknown as the language it is written in.
To my eyes, this appears to be the sounds of ancient Valarin, but transcribed phonetically into the eldest tongue of the Moriquendi… those who were lost in the darkness of Cuiviénen, whose particular branch of language and people were extinct long before the rising of the sun and moon. Or, perhaps it is a wholly invented lexicon, devised by a lunatic, spoken by no one.
I doubt even Fëanor himself could translate it. But if anyone managed the feat, they would discover secrets from the First Music, known only to the Valar themselves. Which one of them whispered into the ear of the first Quendë, I do not know. There are fragments here from all Creation.
…There is a high probability that whoever attempts to decipher this codex will go completely mad, consumed by questions which cannot be answered, tormented by a puzzle with no matching pieces– but what is that risk compared to the glory of personally resurrecting a dead language, or of discovering the key to the First Music itself?
To have access to primordial power, able to wield it for one’s self in the creation of something wholly original… That would put you on the same footing as Eru himself, would it not?
Here. It is yours, to do with as you please. Good luck.
Hah. For the haughty prince, I think “šanāṣu”; to sneer and turn up the nose, one whose expression is always that of a pampered courtesan addressing a ragged suitor. That is all the nuance I have ever seen from thee, whose mouth would not melt ice.
“Seulement moi ? Voilà une
nouvelle pour le moins intéressante, mais ne serais- tu pas en train
de flatter mon ego? Mon sang, aussi chaud et jeune qu’il puisse
être, doit paraître tentant pour une vile créature de ton espèce,
j’en conviens. Cependant, je suis pour ainsi dire étonné de l’intérêt dont tu fais preuve à mon égard, et ne serait-ce ton
manque certain de pudeur, je pourrais en être amusé.
Que tu éprouves le besoin de me
dévoiler tes fantasmes, pourquoi pas? J’aurai pu m’en offenser,
m’en offusquer même, au point de te refuser l’honneur d’une réponse,
mais le fait est que ton audace est d’un ridicule surprenant, et j’ai
à mon corps défendant, pris le parti de te laisser parler afin de
me faire le témoin de ce débâcle, ton débâcle, misérable souillure embourbée dans les méandres de ta propre insalubrité. C’est donc non
sans surprise que je constate l’agilité avec laquelle tu parviens
non seulement à donner l’image d’une perversion non pas redoutable
mais pitoyable et risible, mais aussi le futile acharnement qui te
pousse dans cette quête que je ne peux qualifier que de vaine.
Tu te fais le chantre d’une sensualité
que certains nommeraient débridée, mais qui pour moi n’a pas plus
de valeur que la misérable et O combien insignifiante existence de
tes serviteurs.
Cesse donc un peu de provoquer ceux qui
te haïssent et de prétendre par tes flatteries donner corps à mes
fantasmes. Tes promesses et tes tentations ne sont que chimères
lubriques et le mépris qu’elles m’inspirent n’a d’égal que la
vacuité de tes paroles.”
“Ouh, do some of your lot see me as wild and unbridled? How flattering. Yet my aim was not to hit the highest mark of perversion, only to hit a target that might prove to be mutually satisfying.
You could indeed have refused me a reply, but you did not. Like a scornful maiden who protests loudly at flattery and yet hangs on every word of it, you decry my indecency, my audacity, my wanton hedonism with every breath– are you hoping to distract attention from your own?
( “Vain” he calls me, for daring to speak in his direction– Ah! The boldness of lesser creatures, to comment upon this swaggering sybarite as if he might deign to recognize them! )
You make me laugh, Noldo. Your haughty, mocking tongue can lash with hot derision until night becomes day; I’ll not tire of teasing it.
You are one in love with the heady pleasure of watching and of being watched, as I am. I know you will remember my proposal. I know that, regardless if it is put into practice, some moment when you are alone and contemplating your own beauty, you will recall that eyes were upon you, drunk with lust, and your pride will swell even as your blood rises. And that is all I desired from this exchange.”
you say mistake, i say a beautiful relationship that ended unfortunately in a misunderstanding and an exercise in taxidermy…
*clears throat* Indeed! Did you know before I compiled the complete Lumbut-Hai lexicon (what you refer to crudely as ‘the black speech’), orcs had over 900 separate dialects, half of which were incomprehensible to each other except with aid of pidgin languages and common gestures? A rich tapestry for linguists, but disastrous for an army!
Did you know, orcs have twelve separate words just for the scents associated with different stages of decaying flesh? It’s fascinating! With such nuance in their language, it would have been a shame not to maintain as many common root words as possible! And indigenous Orcish is highly adaptable– many of the loan words from Sindarin were in use already, I simply had to adapt and standardize them for syntactical clarity.
Ah– and here we find a most fortuitous segue into another shared interest! Orcs, in their advent as a species, were not a metalworking society; they relied on flintknapping and bone carved tools primarily and, if I may say so, ingeniously. But after the Great Inscription into the service of Melkor and Angband, they acquired basic smelting and forging technology, but lacked the terminology of the craft. Here, I took it upon myself to introduce some words from my native Valarin, of course adapted to Orcish pronunciation and spelling.
Truly, the construction of a common language was one of the most expansive and satisfying projects I’ve ever undertaken! Sadly I believe it will not be counted as one my great creations… for many centuries my work has been relegated to the mechanics of war. But for myself, I look upon Lumbut-Hai as a work of smithcraft, perhaps one of my best.
There– now you know something of me that is not merely enemy intelligence.
*tilts head, ponders speech, calmly*
I have indeed noticed the differences in the dialects that I have
encountered, but my researches barely helped me distinguish a
few different dialects only. Pathetic, I know, but I was not given
the tools for a deeper study, without taking into account the words
which I did not manage to relate to anything I had heard before.
And unfortunately most of my notes on the matter have disappeared
with the loss of Himlad… A tragic event, to say the least, in which
you played a significant part, did you not?
But the Eldar are blessed with an incredible memory, as you must
know. Thus nothing is lost, and every bit of information is careful
kept here. *points at own temple*
Concerning these pidgin termes which they had in common, did they appear naturally
among the orcs? If they did, then there must be a few common roots.
The dialects themselves seem to be no more than
accidental derivations of the elvish tongues, twisted by the nature of the orcs and their evident
disrespect for them. But did you, or your master, have to decree the use and the preservation of a few pidgin languages, if only for the sake of a general understanding?
It seems to me that the orcs
instinctively turned toward the sounds which they had encountered the
most, and intuitively adapt them to their own needs.
Changes and evolutions must be expected, that is a certainty. Are
they not, after all, at the root of every languages, be they willing
or not? But corruption is a whole different thing, and I would
not define it as an evolution.
This language you devised, is it not an evolution per se? An
evolution of an already corrupt tongue, accompanied by the merging of your own
knowledge with the specifities of your requirements.
And these root words in the orcish dialects, they are not all
coming from a thindarin root, are they? Your master, and his own
knowledge in the different elvish tongues and Valarin, must have had a
certain influence on his servants’ speeches. I cannot believe that
you, and you only, were involved in these designs.
Regarding the forging terms, I must admit that I am not totally surprised either. You
used Valarin as a reference, you said… It is an interesting concept
in itself, if only for its bitter irony. You helped your master in the
elaboration of a species which is nothing but a mockery of the
Eruhíni, and for them you shaped words that happen to be a mockery of
the Valarin tongue. If it was not an act of sheer provocation,
Thauron, I would call it desperate.
I have never seen any of these
creatures at work, and something tells me that their skills in metalworking are
somewhat rudimentary; In addition to the basic artefacts that I
have occasionnally found on their corpses, it does not seem to me
that they are provided with a creative mind, nor with a mind adapted
for the subtlety of such crafts. I daresay their nature is not suited
either for any complex or delicate languages. And the first reason
for it is their lack of respect, of love, for the speech itself. If they treat
metal like they treat their speech – and its roots matter not –
then they will never master any of these arts.
I cannot ignore your filiation with
your first master, and the language he devised for his own children; I was introduced to the Kasari’s languages, the spoken one and
the silent one, long before the loss of my land. Did they somewhat
have any impact on your own production? You speak of Valarin,
or I should say, corrupted Valarin, but do you not have any knowledge
in khuzdul and iglishmêk? I doubt your relationship with the
Kasari was peaceful enough to bring them to teach youtheir so secret languages, but your
former partnership with Aulë, along with your wisdom, as wicked as
it can be, could have been useful in your attempt to deal with them.
The creation of a Language is an
impressive work, but did you really expect the people of Arda to praise your
for it? You devised a language, indeed, but out of greed and lust for
power. You devised a language for the sole purpose of gaining control
upon your servants’ minds. You devised a tongue through corruption,
through scorn, and this language is but the mere reflection of your
mind. A language must be loved and respected, not despised and drag
through the mud. How could you expect to be remembered for such a
pathetic sacrilege?
You speak of your personal devices for
the creatures who slain my people, and you dare talk of an
intelligence that is not an enemy… You whole speech is a provocation, if not an insult.
Oh, Thauron, I imagined you smarter
than that.
You imagined me? How sweet!
Tssch. It’s like talking to someone using a string and a pair of cups…
Happily for you, I am entering into this conversation for my own amusement. I realize now that was a foolish gambit, as you are as predictably boorish and narrow-minded as the rest of your ilk.
I see you believe the Valar’s fairytales about the creation of the Uruk being a mockery of the elves… and I dare you to find a more self-centered ideology in the whole of Arda.
You use the word “corruption” so freely that I cannot help but think you do not know what it means. One cannot corrupt a language. Language adapts to meet the needs of its speakers. Likewise a free and speaking people different from your kind are not a corruption of your own. Accidental derivations of elvish? Don’t make me laugh.
I am a maia of the forge, and if -I- do not hold the workmanship of the Orcs in contempt, then by what measure canst thou? Their work is not elaborate, and it is neither durable nor beautiful– true. But this is due to the necessities of war, not a lack of basic capacity. They produce quantity, and their naturally robust constitution does the rest…. As I am sure you know, from the number of times they have overwhelmed your forces.
The language I devised was likewise a necessity of war. It was adopted by the Orcs in the service of Angband and ancient Utumno, we did not press it upon their people as a whole. I have not the same disrespect of alterity as you– I merely recognized the need for organization, and a coherent system of communication between our forces.
As for the Khazad; by your use of a term coined by your people, I gather that your esteem of their languages is somewhat flippant. I am indeed familiar with their history and their tongue, for I was present at their creation. I did not leave the service of Aulë until long after. It is true that they have had no dealings with me since, and have refused all of my Master’s parleys. That does not mean I do not respect them. They are Aulë’s children, as was I.
…For one with as precious little knowledge of either Orcs or the events during the Spring of Arda, you certainly hold a great many opinions on the motivations of myself and my Master– things decidedly beyond your ken as one of the Eruhini. A lust for power? Greed? Scorn? Purity dragged through the mud? Were you spoon-fed by the Valar during your time in Aman? If you are so eager to graze on their fanciful propaganda, why did you bother leaving the comfort of their pastures?
Fah. It is safe to say that the disappointment here is mutual.
‘Predictable’, ‘narrow–minded’… it’s the
pot calling the kettle black. But if this is how you see me, then
I have no reason to concinve you otherwise. I do not seek your
appreciation, nor do I want any approval from you. You obtained
what you asked for: a discussion with me, but I never promised
anything else, and surely not an obsequious understanding.
Tis my turn to laugh, now. Your pathetic
attempt to convince me of the respectable nature of the orcs will
turn to ashes. Free or not, they are still my foes, and I will call
them corrupted if it pleases me; these rotten fruits of your master’s
deeds. Are you trying to excuse them? To protect them against
my words and to restore their image? Oh, please. I would shed a tear
if it was not so ridiculously amusing. Especially when war is the
only excuse you can offer.
Overwhelmed we were, indeed, or I
should say outnumbered. But after all, we, Eldar, do not breed like
beasts as your forces do, and believe it or not, we respect life, and
alterity in its larger definition. We regard the orcs for what they
are, we do not deny their existence, we accept their differences, be
they cultural or fundamental. And we do not like them, which is actually
a fitting coincidence, since they do not like us either. Just like
you and me.
What would you not say to baffle me?
I did not use Khazad, indeed, and it is only because I do prefer my
mother tongue. Is this preference a sign of scorn? I think not.
And concidering that my mother tongue is still in use to name many
things and beings, I see no reason not to use it.
And even you, do you not choose my
people’s tongue to name yourself, Tar-Mairon? *chuckles*
You
are in no position to criticize my use of Quenya.
Casari is a term devised by my people, to
name another folk, according to this folk’s own name. It is an
attempt to facilitate the partnership between our peoples. But I am
not here to give a lesson about the origins of this term. You only
need to know that I respect them enough to spare them from being
compared to you.
Aye, the Valar nuttured us with
fairytales. Yet, in their fairytales lies the slightest truth, and
although I do find their teachings somewhat obsolete now, they are
still the bearers of a certain authenticity. A questionable one
indeed, but is it not better than nothing at all ?
Pray tell me Thauron, what do you
have to offer, except lies and fallacious illusions? Your fables
do not hold any truth, and your anthenticity is like a delicate
veil: Soft and beautiful, oddly attractive, but behind it, one would ultimately find but deceit, delusion and trickery. A fantasy, nicely
shaped, but bearer of the worst treachery; that is the nature of your
so-called wisdom.
*clenches fists and jaw*
I saw your orcs slay my friends and
ravage my lands, I have witnessed the horrors of their deeds – of your
deeds – upon my people and upon my brother’s face! Do not talk to me of
the Valar’s fairyrales, Thauron! Do not talk to me of a self-centered
ideolody when all you seek is our submission to your will!
It seems we agree about one thing, and
not the least. Disappointment. I did not live up to your
expectations, and there is something extremely
satisfying
about it.
*Growls and grins a lupine grin*
Well then.
I suppose we have nothing more to debate. As you say– there is something deeply gratifying in vexing one’s enemies. If we have no common ground, why, there is no reason to feel especially remorseful about killing you and all your kin.
…And I will do, whelp of Fëanor. One by one. Yet not before I give thee a face to match thy brother’s.
Oh, and Curufinwë– not all your notes were destroyed at Himlad. They made for amusing light reading, but ultimately I found your conclusions baseless and lacking sufficient evidence or profound insight to be worth anything. Shoddy work. Very shoddy. And here I thought the “skillful” son would show some of the family promise… Pity.
you say mistake, i say a beautiful relationship that ended unfortunately in a misunderstanding and an exercise in taxidermy…
*clears throat* Indeed! Did you know before I compiled the complete Lumbut-Hai lexicon (what you refer to crudely as ‘the black speech’), orcs had over 900 separate dialects, half of which were incomprehensible to each other except with aid of pidgin languages and common gestures? A rich tapestry for linguists, but disastrous for an army!
Did you know, orcs have twelve separate words just for the scents associated with different stages of decaying flesh? It’s fascinating! With such nuance in their language, it would have been a shame not to maintain as many common root words as possible! And indigenous Orcish is highly adaptable– many of the loan words from Sindarin were in use already, I simply had to adapt and standardize them for syntactical clarity.
Ah– and here we find a most fortuitous segue into another shared interest! Orcs, in their advent as a species, were not a metalworking society; they relied on flintknapping and bone carved tools primarily and, if I may say so, ingeniously. But after the Great Inscription into the service of Melkor and Angband, they acquired basic smelting and forging technology, but lacked the terminology of the craft. Here, I took it upon myself to introduce some words from my native Valarin, of course adapted to Orcish pronunciation and spelling.
Truly, the construction of a common language was one of the most expansive and satisfying projects I’ve ever undertaken! Sadly I believe it will not be counted as one my great creations… for many centuries my work has been relegated to the mechanics of war. But for myself, I look upon Lumbut-Hai as a work of smithcraft, perhaps one of my best.
There– now you know something of me that is not merely enemy intelligence.
*tilts head, ponders speech, calmly*
I have indeed noticed the differences in the dialects that I have
encountered, but my researches barely helped me distinguish a
few different dialects only. Pathetic, I know, but I was not given
the tools for a deeper study, without taking into account the words
which I did not manage to relate to anything I had heard before.
And unfortunately most of my notes on the matter have disappeared
with the loss of Himlad… A tragic event, to say the least, in which
you played a significant part, did you not?
But the Eldar are blessed with an incredible memory, as you must
know. Thus nothing is lost, and every bit of information is careful
kept here. *points at own temple*
Concerning these pidgin termes which they had in common, did they appear naturally
among the orcs? If they did, then there must be a few common roots.
The dialects themselves seem to be no more than
accidental derivations of the elvish tongues, twisted by the nature of the orcs and their evident
disrespect for them. But did you, or your master, have to decree the use and the preservation of a few pidgin languages, if only for the sake of a general understanding?
It seems to me that the orcs
instinctively turned toward the sounds which they had encountered the
most, and intuitively adapt them to their own needs.
Changes and evolutions must be expected, that is a certainty. Are
they not, after all, at the root of every languages, be they willing
or not? But corruption is a whole different thing, and I would
not define it as an evolution.
This language you devised, is it not an evolution per se? An
evolution of an already corrupt tongue, accompanied by the merging of your own
knowledge with the specifities of your requirements.
And these root words in the orcish dialects, they are not all
coming from a thindarin root, are they? Your master, and his own
knowledge in the different elvish tongues and Valarin, must have had a
certain influence on his servants’ speeches. I cannot believe that
you, and you only, were involved in these designs.
Regarding the forging terms, I must admit that I am not totally surprised either. You
used Valarin as a reference, you said… It is an interesting concept
in itself, if only for its bitter irony. You helped your master in the
elaboration of a species which is nothing but a mockery of the
Eruhíni, and for them you shaped words that happen to be a mockery of
the Valarin tongue. If it was not an act of sheer provocation,
Thauron, I would call it desperate.
I have never seen any of these
creatures at work, and something tells me that their skills in metalworking are
somewhat rudimentary; In addition to the basic artefacts that I
have occasionnally found on their corpses, it does not seem to me
that they are provided with a creative mind, nor with a mind adapted
for the subtlety of such crafts. I daresay their nature is not suited
either for any complex or delicate languages. And the first reason
for it is their lack of respect, of love, for the speech itself. If they treat
metal like they treat their speech – and its roots matter not –
then they will never master any of these arts.
I cannot ignore your filiation with
your first master, and the language he devised for his own children; I was introduced to the Kasari’s languages, the spoken one and
the silent one, long before the loss of my land. Did they somewhat
have any impact on your own production? You speak of Valarin,
or I should say, corrupted Valarin, but do you not have any knowledge
in khuzdul and iglishmêk? I doubt your relationship with the
Kasari was peaceful enough to bring them to teach youtheir so secret languages, but your
former partnership with Aulë, along with your wisdom, as wicked as
it can be, could have been useful in your attempt to deal with them.
The creation of a Language is an
impressive work, but did you really expect the people of Arda to praise your
for it? You devised a language, indeed, but out of greed and lust for
power. You devised a language for the sole purpose of gaining control
upon your servants’ minds. You devised a tongue through corruption,
through scorn, and this language is but the mere reflection of your
mind. A language must be loved and respected, not despised and drag
through the mud. How could you expect to be remembered for such a
pathetic sacrilege?
You speak of your personal devices for
the creatures who slain my people, and you dare talk of an
intelligence that is not an enemy… You whole speech is a provocation, if not an insult.
Oh, Thauron, I imagined you smarter
than that.
You imagined me? How sweet!
Tssch. It’s like talking to someone using a string and a pair of cups…
Happily for you, I am entering into this conversation for my own amusement. I realize now that was a foolish gambit, as you are as predictably boorish and narrow-minded as the rest of your ilk.
I see you believe the Valar’s fairytales about the creation of the Uruk being a mockery of the elves… and I dare you to find a more self-centered ideology in the whole of Arda.
You use the word “corruption” so freely that I cannot help but think you do not know what it means. One cannot corrupt a language. Language adapts to meet the needs of its speakers. Likewise a free and speaking people different from your kind are not a corruption of your own. Accidental derivations of elvish? Don’t make me laugh.
I am a maia of the forge, and if -I- do not hold the workmanship of the Orcs in contempt, then by what measure canst thou? Their work is not elaborate, and it is neither durable nor beautiful– true. But this is due to the necessities of war, not a lack of basic capacity. They produce quantity, and their naturally robust constitution does the rest…. As I am sure you know, from the number of times they have overwhelmed your forces.
The language I devised was likewise a necessity of war. It was adopted by the Orcs in the service of Angband and ancient Utumno, we did not press it upon their people as a whole. I have not the same disrespect of alterity as you– I merely recognized the need for organization, and a coherent system of communication between our forces.
As for the Khazad; by your use of a term coined by your people, I gather that your esteem of their languages is somewhat flippant. I am indeed familiar with their history and their tongue, for I was present at their creation. I did not leave the service of Aulë until long after. It is true that they have had no dealings with me since, and have refused all of my Master’s parleys. That does not mean I do not respect them. They are Aulë’s children, as was I.
…For one with as precious little knowledge of either Orcs or the events during the Spring of Arda, you certainly hold a great many opinions on the motivations of myself and my Master– things decidedly beyond your ken as one of the Eruhini. A lust for power? Greed? Scorn? Purity dragged through the mud? Were you spoon-fed by the Valar during your time in Aman? If you are so eager to graze on their fanciful propaganda, why did you bother leaving the comfort of their pastures?
Fah. It is safe to say that the disappointment here is mutual.
“In my defence, the original version was already taken.”
That is very… telling.
According to what I have heard, Moringotto, I am not the only here who tried to
seize
his begetter’s title.
…Cheeky. But -I- only wanted to maintain the authority and maybe a little extra that I was given in the beginning… not be subsumed into my Father’s identity, name, body, and soul.
Too bad you have neither Feanor’s talent nor his courage. You should thank me, really, for getting rid of the original so no one can draw comparisons.
MisbehavingMaiar: Tumblr Archive 