Course Correction by Raaf

Fanwork Information

Summary:

After the not so untimely death of Ar-Pharazôn the kingdom of Númenor is now officially under the sole rule of Tar-Míriel. In practice, the position of the Faithful remains precarious and unpopular. She doesn't have the support to outright reverse her subjects’ misguided course, but now at least she has an opportunity to start fixing that.

Sauron’s powerbase is entrenched in Númenórean society, but it was based on the favour and support of the king. Openly acting against his nominal sovereign would endanger it. It was time to adjust his strategy.

 

 

Plotting ensues.

 

Major Characters: Amandil, Sauron, Tar-Míriel

Major Relationships:

Artwork Type: No artwork type listed

Genre: Alternate Universe

Challenges:

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Violence (Moderate)
Chapters: 8 Word Count: 20, 218
Posted on 22 March 2020 Updated on 11 April 2021

This fanwork is a work in progress.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Idea based on this post: https://radiantanor.tumblr.com/post/165906241601/

 

 

 

 

Note I’m using the version of Tar-Míriel’s backstory in Histories of Middle-Earth and not the version in Silmarillion. ‘Tar-Míriel married Ar-Pharazôn voluntarily, wasn’t all that on board with the Faithful ideology and regrets it too late’ is just way more logically and narratively satisfying to me than ‘Tar-Míriel does nothing while her kingdom goes to hell in a handbasket and everyone (inexplicably including the Faithful) just accepts Ar-Pharazôn as the rightful ruler after his usurpation’.

 

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Elwing’s name does not have an Adûnaic equivalent that I am aware of, so the one used in the chapter is my own attempt. I translated the roots in her name: El (star) -> Nimri (star/elf) and Wing (foam/spray) -> rôth (foam/wave-crest). I’m no linguist so please tell me if it sounds bad.

Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Reposting this chapter after it got lost in the migration.

 

Translation cheetsheet:

Manwë (Quenya) = Avradî (Adûnaic)
Valar (Quenya) = Avalôi (Adûnaic) = ‘Powers’
Valinor (Quenya) = Amatthâni (Adûnaic) = ‘Land of the Valar’
Melkor (Quenya) = Mulkhêr (‘Lord of Darkness’ in Adûnaic)
Isildur (Quenya) = Nilûbên (Adûnaic)
Elendil (Quenya) = Nimruzîr (Adûnaic) = ‘Elf-friend’
Sauron (‘Abhorred’ in Quenya) = Zigûr (‘Wizard’ in Adûnaic)
Adûnâim (Adûnaic, subjective plural noun)= Númenóreans (Quenya) = ‘Men of Westernesse’

Comments

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Raaf has requested the following types of constructive criticism on this fanwork: Characterization, Conflict, Description/Imagery, Mood/Tone, Organization/Structure, Pacing, Plot, Point of View, Research, Sensitivity Read, Setting, Spelling, Grammar, and Mechanics, Style, Worldbuilding. All constructive criticism must follow our diplomacy guidelines.

I'm hooked! This is a fascinating AU. I keep fearing that there's nothing they can do to truly correct course - as Tar-Míriel observes, they can't push too far without risking to alienate the majority, and they would probably need a lot more time than they have for taking small steps in the right direction. And Sauron clearly knows how to make her depend on him, even if she doesn't trust him...

Looking forward to more!

 

Author's Response:

Thank you, I'm glad you are enjoying it!

Yes, she doesn't have any simple ways to resolve her problems and Sauron is a hard antagonist to deal with, but on the bright side that does give the story more plot to resolve ;).