No sorries needed--I enjoy even quick comments. I know that feeling when sometimes the comment doesn't flow--but then if I tell myself I'll do a better one later . . . . opportunity lost!

I am glad you found the aura of Dorathian decay convincing: the idea of this magnificent grand place--suffering this huge disaster but not falling -*THEN* -- but not really accepting the dire state of things: really, what were poor Dior and Nimloth and all their court thinking? I read the Silm chapter on this era and I want to say: run! Run, you poor fools! But there are so many real world parallels: people are dreadfully bad at accepting "this is over" until it's too late.

I am a little hard on poor Dior: but I couldn't resist the idea of a well-bred and beautiful and well meaning young man--who is in hopelessly over his head!

You are welcome! The Silmarillion contains so many hints of a fascinating, beautiful, dangerous, awful world for ordinary residents of Beleriand--the Elves and Men and Dwarves who weren't kings or heroes: I just got fascinated with an ordinary solider in the post Thingol decline!