I'm glad you like it,
Legate of Amon Lanc! As
Nerwen said, "AU" is short for "alternate universe." I forgot that the term is only common in certain fannish circles, namely the creative side that frequents sites like FanFiction.Net, LiveJournal, and Tumblr. In this case, my drawings are AU because I've adapted Tolkien's world to a setting that he probably never would've contemplated in a million years, lol, but AU is also often used to describe timeline deviations from canon. That is, "what if?" stories, such as Thorin Oakenshield surviving the Battle of Five Armies, which has grown quite popular amongst
The Hobbit fanfic writers for obvious reasons.
At any rate, I'll keep adding to this thread as I finish more pieces. My venture into watercolor pencils is going well--it's a relief not to have to worry about smearing anything after the Paths of the Dead--but I've gotten a bit stuck on the issue of Smaug, not to mention Middle-earth's other creatures. I think I might end up taking a leaf out of Anne McCaffrey's Pern books and just make dragons psychic teleporters, lol. Well, perhaps only the great fire drakes, with the other types planet-bound. Then Smaug and his kin can retain their canon forms, wings and all, hopping dimensions instantaneously to be wherever they're supposed to be.
Unfortunately for Men, Elves, and Dwarves, teleportation significantly increases the already high threat level of these dragons. Ancalagon could literally crush armies whole simply by dropping atop them from out of thin air with his mountain-sized bulk, and Smaug would certainly have the element of surprise over Laketown's defenders. OTOH, I suppose the general technological upgrade means Bard and company can now scramble fighters in response, lol.
What to do about the Eagles is the next question. They need to be spaceworthy, too. And, unlike the dragons, they carry passengers at times. I feel a field of some sort is the answer, similar to the bubbles generated by spaceships in most sci-fi to travel at FTL speeds. I'm considering both races as truly alien species, as well. Maybe silicon-based lifeforms that can better survive the inimical environment of the interstellar void. They do have to be armored at least heavily enough to take the battlefield with futuristic vehicles and energy weapons. Suggestions are welcome, of course.
Balrogs? Er. I'll work on that?
ETA:
I've been considering the early history of Middle-earth and have a few questions.
First, I need a geography lesson, lol. I understand that Beleriand lay west of Middle-earth's most familiar lands, those of the Third Age, with Ossiriand becoming Lindon after the rest of Beleriand was drowned by the sea. Cuiviénen, where the Elves awoke, is in the distant northeast of ancient Middle-earth, the Sea of Helcar bordered on its western shore by the Blue Mountains. Where are Beleriand and Cuiviénen in relation to one another? Was Cuiviénen destroyed during the War of Wrath, too?
I'd always assumed that it's Beleriand the Elves cross in their westward journey to Aman but, if so, when was the rest of Middle-earth settled? By Men only, who spread west from Middle-earth's far eastern shore, until after the War of Wrath? And where does the Helcaraxë connect with Middle-earth? Northern Beleriand, I guess. Any relation to the Sea of Helcar?
Second, with the Lamps of the Valar ruined by Melkor, was all of Middle-earth in darkness except Valinor, which was lit by the Two Trees? Could the light of the Trees be seen from, say, Beleriand or, more generally, Middle-earth's far western shore? I seem to remember Arda was flat until the Downfall of Númenor, so Valinor might've been visible as a glow on the horizon no matter how wide the sea.
Tolkien's creation story for the Sun and Moon can, I think, be adapted for this AU of mine with relative ease by having Anor and Isil both be stars in a binary system. The difficulty lies in the westward migrations undertaken by both Elves and Men after their awakenings. Neither race could possibly be spacefarers so early, such advanced technologies taught to the Elves by the Valar and later by the Elves to Men. How then to situate the events of the Years of the Trees and First Age? I'm tempted to just dump everybody concerned on a single planet that encompasses Beleriand and more, leaving the rest of Middle-earth unexplored or perhaps even not yet in existence until well into the First Age. The Valar can send spaceships to ferry to Aman the Elves who answer their summons and, by the time Men are an issue, the Noldor would've returned to Beleriand with the knowledge to brave deep space themselves, establishing colonies on new worlds.