Mechanical Monsters at the Fall of Gondolin?

[Aiwendil]

Aiwendil you (and anyone else beside you) had as jet not commented on this passage:

I've given some thought to this but I'm still unsure. Certainly "fire-drake" can refer to type 4. It seems a little odd and artificial, then, to refer to type 3 as "drakes of fire" as this will scarcely distinguish them.

But perhaps scarcely is enough. The question then is whether it is worth the change.

I am not completely convinced of this:

The "exhaustion of their fires" makes this firedrakes clearly a reference to type 3 dragons.

As was discussed much earlier in the thread, it seems not entirely unreasonable to speculate that type 4 dragons could have their fires exhausted, or need them to be replenished. But that was, admittedly, when we were engaged in the project of transforming the whole text so that all the dragons were type 4. And I certainly agree that the "exhaustion of their fires" at the very least suggests type 3.

The hesitation I have about making the change is the same that I have had about certain other changes (though perhaps here it is not as justifiable). That is, it seems that if there is a problem, the change is an insufficient solution; if there is not, it's unnecessary.

But then again, maybe it is sufficient. Or perhaps not sufficient and yet the best we can do.

So I will tentatively support the change. But I'd really like to hear from the others on this (though it seems a very minor point).