[en] The English RPG Forum > RPG Library

Conversations in Doriath

(1/15) > >>

Walküre:
This is a game that concerns the canonical and pivotal conversations between Galadriel and Melian, while the former was a guest of Elwë and the Maia in Doriath, the millenary guarded realm of Beleriand.

After a first visit, Galadriel was mesmerised by the hidden and protected essence of that legendary realm, whose those said properties would later be recognisable both in Lothlórien (magical defence) and in the Halls of Thranduil (hidden halls and caverns); she also got very much enchanted by the powers of Queen Melian and her sacred rule over her people. These were the main reasons of the Noldorin princess' decision to stay in Doriath as a stable guest (she would also have her first encounter with Celeborn too, being him a Sindarin prince at the court of the king). Unlike the Houses of Fëanor and Fingolfin, the sons of Finarfin were friendly welcomed due to their common blood ties with the Sindarin royal family: Finarfin's spouse is Eärwen, daughter of Elwë's brother Olwë (king of the Teleri of Alqualondë).

The conversations of such two mighty characters were always wide-ranging and deeply emotional, encompassing both the sad fate of the Noldor in Middle-earth and their memories of their past in Valinor. The farsighted Maia had realised, in time, that Galadriel and the Noldor as a whole were carrying a heavy burden, and so she managed to have the princess of Tirion tell her about the darkening of the Blessed Realm, the theft of the Silmarils and the Noldor's arrival in Middle-earth to reclaim them. Galadriel, though, had not had the heart to reveal the other obscure side of the story which referred to the infamous Kinslaying and the consequent Noldor's exile from Aman. That aspect would be unveiled after some time, provoking the wrath of Thingol as he discovered that many of his own kin had been massacred by the madness of Fëanor. Galadriel would nonetheless be permitted to remain, given that her presence was source of appreciation and joy among the people of Doriath, and that she had by then become the beloved scholar of the Queen.

It's night. Finarfin's sons and their escort are riding to the hidden borders of Doriath, sensing clearly the great magnitude of Melian's defence. The King and the Queen are awaiting their guests in their vast halls.


A Noldorin delegation is welcomed at the doors of Menegroth


Participants allowed: DieWalküre, Fine and VectorMaximus

Fine:
The tall trees whispered to her. The leaves on the wind spoke soft words. The grass beneath her feet sent messages to her conscience. Nature all around her was alive.

Melyanna of Aman, servant of Yavanna, queen of Eglador, tóril of Doriath. Melian the Maia.

She bore many names, but more than her name, people always remembered her voice. Her singing was alike to the nightingales beneath the starlight of the Elder Days. And that was how Elwë had found her in the magical forest of Nan Elmoth, ages ago. Before the Shadow had returned.

Swiftly she strode through the woods, listening closely to the tale of the trees all around her. They were still in turmoil over the arrival of Anár and Isíl, the two great lights in the sky that had suddenly begun to appear some time ago. Sharp pain Melian had felt during the hour of darkness, when the Two Trees died, even though she had not dwelt within Valinórë's guarded walls for a very long time and even though the Sundering See separated her from it. But as a Maia of Yavanna, and thus, nature, she had a deep connection to all living beings, be they small or large, and trees were no exception. And when Sun and Moon first rose, she knew that the last offspring of the Two Trees had survived, and was glad. But for everyone else living in Beleriand, this new source of light was surprising, strange, and took time to get used to.

Arriving at Menegroth, she quickly passed through the large gate. The guards bowed their heads in deep respect. Her raiment, a elegant yet suitable lime dress, flowed around her as she passed through Thingol's great hall and found her dearest sitting on his ascendant throne.
"You have returned, fairest of all beings," he greeted her warmly, a light shining in his immortal eyes.
"Words I bring from the trees. A fateful arrival is drawing near," she spoke, taking her seat at her king's right. "Your kin are approaching, o great ruler of Beleriand. I will allow them passage of our borders, if you wish so."

After the dreadful battle that ravaged Beleriand during the Shadow's return to Ennórë, Melian had created a magical barrier, named Melian's Girdle, around Elwë's realm, so his people would never have to fight again if they did not wish to do so. None could pass beyond the Girdle without the Maia's permission, unless someone were to come who wielded greater power than Melian.

Her far-seeing eyes and foresight perceived many things. The Noldor, who had given chase to the Shadow, were espied even before Fëanor and his sons could make landfall at the coast of Hithlum. She had learnt of their victory over the forces of darkness, and of Fëanor's demise, even before word of these events reached Thingol's secluded realm. And now new messages had been brought to her senses: A second, and larger group of exiles, bravely crossing the Helcaraxë in the far north had entered Beleriand, bringing the rising sun with them. And among them were some who were kindred to Elwë, children of his niece, Eärwen of Alqualondë. They drew near to Doriath. Melian could feel it clearly, as if witnessing it with seeing eyes.

"I do, queen eternal," he responded. "My kin shall always be welcome in this realm of ours. Verily, their tale of their travels from Aman will be a most interesting one. I greatly anticipate this meeting."
She heard more in his words than he could express. It was obvious to her that Elwë desired to reunite with his family he had not seen for three long ages and the Sundering Sea between them. The King wanted to know what Eärwen's children looked like and what personalities they possessed. With them having a noldorin father, Melian was unsure if Elwë's expectations would be fully met. But even though she could perceive some doom that hung over the Noldor, something they brought from the undying lands with them, she also saw that it did hang less heavy upon the children of Finarfin. Her mind at ease, she bent the girdle to her will and allowed them passage into Doriath.

"They will arrive in a few days," she said softly.
"Then we shall greet them here, within my halls. Let us welcome them as relatives long lost, and let our reunion be most glad!" answered the king.
Melian took his hand, tenderly holding it. "So be it, my beloved. So be it."

Walküre:
The Princes of Tirion and their valiant escort passed swiftly through the Crossings of the Taeglin, and then ahead past the woods of Brethil. The Moon shone vividly at the centre of the dark vast sky, whose stars were the clear symbol of the Queen of Arda's will to prevent the obscurity of the mortal lands from extinguishing even the smallest hope of the people of Middle-earth; even though their ancestral far light had often proved not to be enough to frustrate the malicious plans of the evil creatures lurking in the shadows, the remnants of Laurelin and Telperion put outright terror in the hearts of such beasts and of all the servants of who sits on the Iron Throne, inside the infamous fortress at the edges of Beleriand (lying near the perennial ice of the World). A type of ice originated millennia ago, which not even the two new lamps of the Valar could have managed to melt. Such hostile place was thus chosen to be the seat of Angband and of the colossal Thangorodrim towering in tyranny over every peak but Taniquetil itself.

Only those frozen wastes, lost in the tales of the Elder Days, connect the mortal continent with the holy lands of the Archangels, via the deadly pass of the Helcaraxë. No mortal has ever trodden those forbidden ways, nor has it ever managed to reach their perilous vicinities. Even among the immortal, it is said that the Ainur only may pass it safely.

It is exactly that deadly passage which stood between the revengeful Noldor and Middle-earth. An immense test for the Houses of Ñolofinwë and Arafinwë, whose blessed lineage didn't spare them unspeakable losses. But the longing for vindicating their kin was a very alive of a burning flame, alongside the secret desires to command some of those free territories beyond the inviolable chain of the Pelóri. Retrieving the stolen splendour of the Noon of Valinor, now part of the Enemy's iron crown, was absolutely paramount.

In the wild breeze of Beleriand, Nerwen and her brothers Findaráto, Angaráto and Aikanáro were leading the Noldorin expedition, with the light of Aman still on their angelic faces. The Princess was riding very fast alongside her kin, veiled wholly in white yet wearing a bright golden armour, just slightly visible beneath the veil; the other Eldar were armoured equally and of the true fashion of their weapons very few in Middle-earth could have precisely guessed the origin. Although immersed in the liberty of the outer world, there was little time for lingering there and inspecting the newly-discovered wonders of the mortal continent, lest their fast passing attract some of the fell beasts the Eldar were by then used to fighting. Many times were they told about the relentless Evil hiding on the other shore of Belegaer, but the Noldor had never fully comprehended the measure of the Enemy's capabilities until the battle of Lammoth and the greater parallel Battle Under the Stars. The Dark Lord had shamefully retreated within his stronghold, but the host of Curufinwë/Fëanáro achieved that sad victory at the cost of losing its legendary leader. Ñolofinwë, on the other hand, witnessed in the Lammoth the terrible death of his beloved son Arakáno.

Nerwen's mind was in that moment a stormy sea of nostalgic memories of the sanctity of the supreme Valimar or reminiscences of the tragic events she had had to get through until then. Her father Arafinwë and her mother Eärwen had refused to disobey the Powers and thus disowned the exile; with great sorrow, her ambitions had led her apart from them, though her brothers were there with her (and this comforted her immensely). Her House had not sworn the infamous oath that had won the hearts of many, and the later atrocious kinslaying of her mother's kind proved how far Fëanáro's resolution could go. However, albeit loathing him and his House (divining that a just retribution would have ultimately been the judgement of their madness), she did stand up during the turbulent assembly of the Noldor in Tirion and advocated the intransigent line against the Enemy of the World (consequently facing, at her profound dismay, the fate of the sorrowful exile). Contrary to the creator of the Jewels, she didn't blame the Lords of Aman for the misfortunes that took place in Valinor, and no way, as others of the royal family viciously hinted at, did she believe that the very Archangels had trapped the Elven kind in their golden gaol to contain its powers.

Unfortunately, the curse of Mandos had not permitted the existence of a 'third way' in that turn of the tide for Arda's history. Those who decide to flout the Powers' authority, even if moved by the best intentions, shall nonetheless experience the bitter destiny of the banishment and their censure. Nerwen knew that the Valar too had been terribly displeased to enforce such harsh measures, and she always hoped in the depth of her heart that one day they would finally grant forgiveness to the princes and kings that had chased the traitor Vala in his domain. With the Enemy in mind, she felt that there nonetheless was a legitimacy in her family's deeds and remembered when she had slain some of the Enemy's abominations in the Lammoth (fuelling her fiery heart with justice and just revenge). She had never seen Orcs before that moment.

Then, Findaráto spoke: ''We have entered Doriath, my brothers.''

As soon as she entered the forest of that hidden realm, she instantly felt freed from her burdens and in a completely enchanted environment. Nerwen could clearly sense Magic and the real magnitude of the magical shield that embalmed that broad land. They knew that the High King of their mother's kind had Melyanna as spouse, a Maia of the people of Vána and Estë, endowed with formidable powers. The Ainu's essence permeated everything and mirrored how the joyful inhabitants of Valinor would often lead life throughout the Blessed Realm's evergreen fields or sacred dwellings, with the only difference that the safety of that realm contrasted heavily with what lay outside its guarded borders (as an intense luminescence immersed in the darkness of uncertainty). The desire to meet the source of that prowess increased exponentially in her, and she herself perceived that the Maia was eagerly waiting for such occasion too; willing to disclose the fiery heart of the proud princess.


DieWalküre: As it's written in the Silmarillion, the Noldor of Aman spoke the solemn Quenya, while the Elves of Beleriand the fluent Sindarin. Millennia had passed since the departure of the Eldar who decided to accept the invitation of the Valar and the Grey Elves who remained in Middle-earth. Their languages thus evolved in a substantially different way during the Years of the Trees.

Therefore, it wasn't always easy at first for the two kinds to understand each other properly. I stuck to the names in Quenya just to represent that this language was the Noldor's own language. I will use the Sindarin counterparts of those names as the game progresses, when Galadriel gets used to living in Doriath. As a Maia, I guess that Melian won't have any particular problem in speaking the language of Valinor.

Fine:
Melian stirred. She had felt the new arrivals cross the bridge outside Menegroth, the waters of Esgalduin rushing through the crevasse below them. The Maia extended her mental reach towards them. As the guards of Thingol's palace bade the Noldor halt, she beheld everything, as if she were among them in person. Melian witnessed how the Elvenking's wardens struggled with understanding what the Princes of Tírion were saying, since their words were the words of the Blessed Realm, not those of Middle-earth or the Elves of Twilight. But were they not both Quendi, "Those Who Speak"? Thus, Melian softly reminded her guards that these arrivals were expected and to be lead inside the great hall of Elwë. And so they did, taking from them the mighty steeds that had borne them all the way from Hithlum, where the Noldorin High King resided, and leading their steeds to the stables nearby. Melian's guests then crossed the gates and entered the Thousand Caves of Doriath.

She stood, in eager expectation of the news the Noldor might bring. Melian of course saw much, but her reach did not extend beyond the Sundering Sea or the icy wastes of the North. She did, however, feel a certain sense of fate, or doom even, hang above the heads of the noldorin exodus from Aman, and dearly desired to learn of its cause.

"Welcome," she said in the tongue of Valinorë. It was one single word, spoken softly, not loud. But everyone in the great hall heard it, resounding in the back of their minds. The Princes stopped for a moment, but she gave them a gentle smile and invited them to come closer. Elwë rose from his seat, and together the ruling couple of Doriath walked slowly towards their noble guests.
They met in the center of the great hall, beneath a spot where starlight was shining through the cave's ceiling. And so it was that Elwë first encountered the children of his niece, Eärwen of Alqualondë.
"My kin," he spoke. Melian noticed an untypical excitement about him, for most of the time Elú Thingol did not show much emotion other than kingly grace or content. "I take it your journey has been safe? Many beasts yet roam Beleriand, even after the great victory in the North my scouts report of."
"Indeed," replied the eldest of Eärwen's children, who seemed the quickest to adapt to the tongue of Doriath. He then gave the king the full tale of their travels through Beleriand.

Melian watched and listened, asking a question here and there, but otherwise did not take much part in the discussion between her husband and the Princes' leader. Her mind was extending towards the others, who where silent most of the time - out of respect for their brother and the king, she conducted. She easily perceived their names, of quenyan origin, but for her, it was the simplest task to give them a sindarin shape: Finrod, the eldest, Angrod and Aegnor, the second and third sons, and -
Her thoughts came to a halt. "One is missing," she said.
"My son Artaresto stayed behind for now," replied Angrod.
"Why is that?" asked Elwë. "Surely he is as impressive as the rest of his family? I wish to see him as much as I wished to see all of you, my dear kin."
"Most assuredly, noble Lord," said Finrod. The exchange between him and Thingol continued, and Melian turned her gaze upon the last of her guests.
Rays of sunlight or even a shimmer of a light even older than that seemed to gleem in Nerwen's hair, but Melian noticed the maiden's observing view and beyond that, the not so safely contained wild nature of her heart and desire to learn more about the magic that was infusing the very air in the land of Doriath. This encounter was strangely exciting for Melian herself, as it seemed fated by a will even greater than her own. She waited until the conversation faded and then invited Nerwen to take a walk with her through the palace.

"Let the Lords speak of war and the troubles of the world," she suggested. "But come. I would show you Menegroth, and the power that exudes from it, the one that forms the barrier you crossed when you entered my realm. I see in your heart a great desire to learn of magical things of this sort, and would gladly give you some insight in it."
She extended a gentle hand and waited for Nerwen's response.

Walküre:
''Her Majesty Melyanna, it's the utmost honour to be granted the privilege to stay within the safe borders of your realm. Indeed I was greatly mesmerised when I sensed the magnitude of your shield. I could never forget the holy nature which permeates the blessed shires of our past dwelling. A portion of that power is truly kept throughout the halls and woods of Doriath. Its real extension I still don't comprehend completely, but my heart would surely be much glad to learn more.''

Then, the sudden nostalgia of the Blessed Realm struck the Princess and her thoughts were thus made blue, as regret and sadness merged themselves in one sole sigh. With slender tears slowly coming down from her sea-like eyes, Nerwen recalled the imperious inscriptions carved in the colossal golden Arc at the entrance of Valinórë, at the end of the narrow Calacirya and of the green Eldamar itself. Those sacred words were inscribed both in the language of the Eldar and in the mysterious tongue of the Ainur. Nerwen thus sang some of the main passages at the Queen's presence.


--- Zitat ---Thou shalt enter the domain of the Powers of Arda. Be it a wise Maia or a mighty Vala, its rule thou shalt obey.

Across golden halls and evergreen fields, a holy power the eternal life of this realm sustaineth. The untrodden paths of Valinórë throughout many places shalt take thee. The flourishing Pastures of Yavanna their divine wheat shalt offer along with many of her green creations, the luxuriant Woods of Oromë many beasts hideth, in the Gardens of Lórien may the grey Estë the toil of thy heart cure and Irmo kind dreams thy sleep assure. Of Vána the ever-present Spring is the most beloved gift and Nessa even the fastest deers in the wild outrunneth.

The golden Valmar at the centre of all, of its great wonders surely thou were told. The Thrones of the Kings and the Queens lie not afar, upon which they decide the fate of ours to be. Ezellohar of Laurelin and Telperion the hallowed seat is, and the Two Trees we much bless for anything growing their radiance needeth. The skilled Aulë is father of many things and of crafting the true master is. The valiant Tulkas proud in his halls resideth, the Champion who the Dark Vala eventually won.

In the blue depths of Ekkaia Ulmo dwelleth and all the waves of the seas he dominateth. Námo within the caverns of Mandos silently remaineth and from his hidden Gaol none may escape, while Vairë the long History of the World in tapestry weaveth. Nienna near the very edges of Arda wandereth and by the sad westernmost shores for the wounds of the World she mourneth.

Manwë and Varda the entire Eä rule, and from the apex of the supreme Oiolossë every mortal deed and heartfelt plea they see and hear. The King all sorts of winds commandeth alongside every flying creature of the Air and the authority to lead upon him only was bestowed. Snow-white Varda, the most beautiful, of all Light the source is and since the obscure days even the darkest lands her ancient Stars in the firmament with hope enlightened.

Forswear any doubt and fear, thou willing to live in such bliss, for no evil is to be found within the mighty Pelóri.
--- Ende Zitat ---

Melyanna smiled of pure joy at the sound of those words, which were sung in such a fashion that only Lúthien could have mirrored or surpassed, if not that the daughter of the Queen had never had the privilege to live in Aman and even see Valinórë in its then lost Noon. The Queen thus gently bowed, as if she wanted to thank the Princess for having brought in the halls of the Telerin King a bit of what lies beyond the Sea. Though it was for brief moments of profound contemplation and reminiscences of the past, something of that kind had not taken place for centuries in Doriath, as someone from the West had not walked Beleriand since the Great Journey of the Eldar.

Navigation

[0] Themen-Index

[#] Nächste Seite