Comments on Obsidian to Cut

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Oooh, fascinating. And very sad - both to imagine the Avari ending up in Valinor after all, possibly still quite against their will, and to think that Finwë's father and the rest of the family never get over the rift caused by the Great Journey. Interesting (and moving) that Ingwë is less obstinate! Smart move to use the "decorative" obsidian to make blades, whatever the Valar say. You never know when you need one...

And I absolutely adore the idea that Maglor would have run into that side of the family at some point.

Thank you! I've always felt bad for the Avari (and the Sindar & Nandor) that there doesn't seem to be an option for those who die other than remain in the Halls or be reborn in a land that isn't theirs, with a bunch of elves already there that they don't seem to get along with very well. I do think Finwë's father eventually gets introduced to the rest of his family and they get over it. It just takes a long time.

My Ingwë is always one of my least obstinate characters! Probably because if he wasn't, my only characters in Valinor would be very stubborn Noldor and very stubborn Teleri, and somebody has to break up the fights and not react on pure emotion (plus, his whole family came, so he can take a step back and not immediately think of a fight with his father or brother).

Fëanor had to get his habit of sneakily making blades from somewhere. :P

I'm glad you like the idea of Maglor running into that side of his family! I worried it'd be too out there, which is why this story isn't about that - but I just love the idea of him stumbling across them, figuring out their language, and then slowly putting together the pieces about the son that left them and went to Valinor while they've been hearing stories from the Western shores of cursed elves that came back across the sea. At least he wouldn't be completely without family, even if it is new family...

 

Thank you! I was inspired by the line about how the Avari thought the Noldor were arrogant, and it seems to me that it probably went both ways in terms of judging each other, along with a love of anthropology and how no different culture is as stupid as the dominant culture thinks they are.

Brooke, this is wonderful! So much going on in relatively few words, and I love the parenthetical asides and what they show of what is going on in your OC's mind.

This story raises so many good questions. What of the Avari who died? What was done (or not) to accommodate them in Valinor? And having forsaken the Great Journey, what did they think of awaking in a land they made a choice not to inhabit?

Of course, the historical bias researcher in me loves that you are showing the perspective of one of the groups conveniently ignored (or actively maligned) by the Silm and the HoMe materials. I've always had a soft spot for the Avari, feeling like they were mistreated in the texts writing about them (never BY them--of course). Yet anger and pity for your OC and what he faces in his new home is undercut by the distinct feeling that he's able to care for himself and may help dispove some mistaken beliefs about his people ...



Thank you, Dawn! I'm glad the parenthetical asides work in the way I wanted to.

All of those questions are things that my Sindar, Silvan, and Avari would be more than glad to answer, mostly in terms of how little they think about the Valar and Noldor's plans for them in Valinor after rebirth.

I think the perspectives of the groups ignored/maligned by the Silm and HoMe are some of the most interesting for me to write, because if I wanted a Gondolin-view point biased story of them, well, there's the Silm or hundreds of fanfics and forum posts to read. He can take care of himself, for the most point - and since I borrowed his feelings about parts of the situation from my own experiences (mainly the idea that one's birth and where one is from makes the difference between being capable and being an idiot), he cares more about making people understand than gaining pity

I have the feeling he overwhelms the Noldor with arguments and screeds against their biased ideas. Finarfin probably starts wishing for Fëanor to be reborn just so somebody that can keep up with all of the arguments is around. :P