Quote:
Originally Posted by Ibrīnišilpathānezel
On the other hand, there is some precedent for Tolkien's fiery critters breaking mountains when they fall and die.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ibrīnišilpathānezel
Then again, maybe when these fire-critters fall and die, they explode in a nuclear fashion and flatten the landscape.
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It's the "Dark Side" energy being released when they die <g>
Seriously, if you look at the other dragon deaths which Tolkien described, I think we have to allow for more than just a dead weight falling.
- When Glaurung was mortally stabbed, he started thrashing around breaking things.
- When Smaug received his mortal wound he shot spouting into the air, crashed down on Esgaroth, and completed the total destruction of the town by his death-flailings.
Also, if the "three peaks of Thangorodrim" were more in the style of mighty towers of slag and ash - then think how it only took a single Boeing 767 to bring down each of the WTC Towers on 9/11.
All it takes is for a thrashing Ancalagon (mightiest of the winged dragons) to weaken the supportting infrastructure of the towers enough (in his death throes) that they collapse under their weight - not unlike the WTC towers.