[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

On glancing back at it, yeah, I had more detail in Nargothrond than I remembered, so that's good. (I do think I've made Finrod's prologue-throne grey, though, despite the repeated lyrical invocations of "golden throne".)

And here it is! Well, mostly. Listening now, I think I would change a couple details, but that's details.

Originally Posted by Hui

That... hadn't really occurred to me. Huh. You make a good point! (The difference being of course that Beren had a specific goal in mind; Turin, as far as I recall, just didn't like not fighting.)

Well, if Beren's goal is "get a Silmaril", while Turin's is "do what is in your power to fight Morgoth", yes, they have different goals - and Turin's comes across as the more noble one. But I digress.

Originally Posted by Hui

o.O What in Space-Arda was that? That's... quite a prologue.

Ha, I know! Has nothing to do with the story. But wouldn't that be a cool realm of fanfiction - Tolkien Sci-Fi? Eighth Age Arda is quite the place for imagination to run wild in all different directions. The prologue makes for a pretty cool psychological thriller, and as far as Tolkien geekiness is concerned, I was totally sold at "Cuthalion-330". :-D

I am still in the vicinity of 1/4 through the first actual chapter in terms of the translation - and that chapter is roughly equivalent to Meeting. It's a long book with a lot of extra details. I am actually itching to get it out to compare the Script with the Dawn, there are so many parallels, but I realize that I would have to wait another couple years to get there...

Originally Posted by Hui

(So would Finrod be able to reshape the Halls like he does? The Script implies that most of it is illusion, which should work - 'magic' is a feature of the spirit, and elven spirits are intact even when outside their bodies - but there's all those references to moving the walls around. I think there's a discussion much later about that point, which suggests that the Halls may actually be entirely illusion - or may not be.)

I think both are within the realm of possibility. Finrod is a master of whatever "magic" rules illusions - he's the one who almost beat a Maia with a Song of Power. And at one point in the Script I think they implied he moved real walls by "persuading" the stone to be such (the language was similar to how in Nargothrond they "convinced" the armour to darken). Which, all in all, I don't think is the most unbelievable thing in this story. Finrod is very much of a mind-over-matter person, in more ways than one, and if anyone can figure out how to move walls with his thought it would be him.

Originally Posted by Hui

Luthien suffers a fair bit from having to play the Only Sane Character: she did in Act III, and she does here too (who else would qualify? Beren? Finrod?!). So for instance, Beren gets to give very in-character descriptions of the events of their story, but Luthien - much later - has to give a reasonably objective account.

But also... she seems a bit childish sometimes, doesn't she? I noticed that this time through. And that jars a bit, but also... well, she is, in that she's been heavily protected by her parents until the past two years. She's not a spoilt princess, but she is still a princess, and one who could drag the foremost minstrel in the world out into random areas of forest on a whim. She's used to getting her way - she has the skill and power to ensure she does when people stand against her - and now she's stuck somewhere she can't do that. Her only weapon left is persuasion, and that isn't one of Canon Luthien's notable traits. (She does it three times, I think: once to get Daeron to go looking for Beren, once to invoke Daeron's aid in escaping, and once to Morgoth to let her sing. Other than that, she loses every verbal argument she's in, unless some-Huan else backs her up.)

She's absolutely a petulant child, and has been the entire play. I found that jarring, but dismissed it in the style of the thing - I mean, Beren can have his Snark and Finrod can have his, what - Spunk? - but obviously the rest have been sillified beyond what's expected. I mean, even in the canonical acts, many of the scenes were made more comedic or silly at the expense of some characters, but it's hard not to admit that the Valar are Comedy Valar. I've accepted Olorin in this taste too (and yes, his name is confirmed at the very end of Part 2), as all the details are technically right and it's the comic relief feature that bothers me. I guess your more in-story explanation also makes sense though, she being a somewhat spoilt princess.

Originally Posted by Hui

EDIT: Remembered the thought I had the other day... it is a bit Much that Gandalf's prowess with the sword gets an origin story too. Again, it makes sense, in that use of weapons isn't an innate skill of the Powers (hence Tulkas never does), and the idea that he didn't just magically learn it but had to face the same painful training as everyone else is kind of realistic... but once I noticed it, it did stand out quite a bit.

Actually, that one stood out as more normal to me. I never really thought about it, but I sort of expected Gandalf to have learned warfare and fighting from Eruhini at some point, dunno if before or after his arrival to ME. Though I didn't think he'd be learning from dead Eruhini.

Originally Posted by Hui

I took a quick run at the Mandos research, and have compiled the quotes here. In summary:

^.^ You know, it's things like this that make me think we would belong right in there, together with the incurable mad enthusiasts.


So far, I think Nerdanel is my favourite non-canonical addition. I like the way she balances her love with her disagreement, how she can be both concerned and ashamed of her sons but doesn't deny either side of the duality. And her reaction to Luthien (along the lines of "He gave up a Silmaril for you? He's a keeper!") was pure gold. Finarfin was questionable initially, but I think he's grown on me. Amarie got more interesting, then less interesting again, but I expect there will be more development to come.


PS: I think the Only Sane Character Award goes to Orodreth. ^.^