“Seeing the desolation of the world, Sauron said in his heart that the Valar, having overthrown Morgoth, had again forgotten Middle-earth; and his pride grew apace. He looked with hatred on the Eldar, and he feared the Men of Númenor who came back at whiles in their ships to the shores of Middle-earth; but for long he dissembled his mind and concealed the dark designs that he shaped in his heart. Men he found the easiest to sway of al the peoples of the Earth; but long he sought to persuade the Elves to his service, for he knew that the Firstborn had the greater power; and he went far and wide among them, and his hue was still that of one both fair and wise.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, the Silmarillion
The last time Sauron came to the elves, he came in fair form, posing as an embassador of the Valar (Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth) ordered to remain in Middle Earth and aid with its reorganizing. Looking back, it is hard to say whether he truly set out to deceive them or not. He thinks at least a part of him was genuine in his desire to heal the lands. He had ever so loved order, after all. Perhaps the problem was not, therefore, his intent, but moreso that his time with Melkor left him unable to distinguish between growth and destruction.
“[Sauron] repents in fear when the First Enemy is utterly defeated, but in the end does not do as was commanded, return to the judgement of the gods. He lingers in Middle-earth. Very slowly, beginning with fair motives: the reorganising and rehabilitation of the ruin of Middle-earth, ‘neglected by the gods’, he becomes a reincarnation of Evil, and a thing lusting for Complete Power – and so consumed ever more fiercely with hate (especially of gods and Elves).”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, the Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Some of the elves must have known then what he himself had not been willing to acknowledge, for Gil-galad and Elrond turned him away, nor would Galadriel or her husband Celeborn heed his counsil. Only Celebrimbor and the smiths of Eregion, the Gwaith-i-Mirdain, could he sway to his purposes. And in the end, even they had seen through his ruse, albeit too late.
“It was in Eregion that the counsels of Sauron were most gladly received, for in that land the Noldor desired ever to increase the skil and subtlety of their works. Moreover they were not at peace in their hearts, since they had refused to return into the West, and they desired both to stay in Middle-earth, which indeed they loved, and yet to enjoy the bliss of those that had departed. Therefore they hearkened to Sauron, and they learned of him many things, for his knowledge was great. In those days the smiths of Ost-in-Edhil surpassed al that they had contrived before;and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. But Sauron guided their labours, and he was aware of all that they did; for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves and to bring them under his vigilance.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, the Silmarillion
This time, Mairon is going to just mind his own business and try not to be noticed. Because unlike the men of Bree or the hobbits of the Shire, some of these inhabitants were actually around last time he made contact. He pays his due diligence and swiftly makes his departure.
Don’t recognize me, don’t recognize me…
Beneath the golden leaves of the Mallorn trees, the world is cast with mist. It is quiet, still, near silent save for the occasional song of birds or rustle in the undergrowth. Mairon cannot remember the last time he saw such peace. It was probably back in Valinor, before Melkor’s first revolt, before he himself turned his back on the Valar and left for Middle Earth in pursuit of loftier goals.
Loftier goals. Or at least, he had thought them so then. Dreams of a prosperous future, of order and beauty far surpassing anything the Valar in their indolence could devise.
Did I really try to destroy this place?
His dreams had been bright. Too bright, perhaps. So bright they’d burned everything in their path, leaving a barren stretch of wasteland in their wake. It had been worth it, he’d told himself. What was a little pain in the face of greater accomplishment? Sacrifices had to be made, suffering endured. It was worth it, he’d told himself. But now, gazing around at this swathe of land untouched by his malice, rich and thriving, soft and serene…he is no longer sure.
Maybe it’s not so bad leaving it as is…
(In other news, I finally got the cosmetic set reward for completing the Remmorchant! I’m a terrible raider, so it’s very rare I get to complete those deeds, but this time I found a group who was willing to take me. The chest-piece/tunic is knee length, which is my preference for clothing in game, so I’ve been listing after it for ages. It’s a little too fancy for normal travel in my opinion, but then I remembered the story of Annatar and his fair form, and while I don’t envision Sauron looking like this when he came as the bringer of gifts, I was inspired nonetheless.)
Outfit: Head: Time-worn Headpiece (black) Shoulders: Celeborn’s Pauldrons (black) Back: Alliance of the Third Age Silk Cloak (black) Chest: Celeborn’s Battle-dress (black) Hands: Shield-Master’s Gauntlets (black) Feet: Celeborn’s Shoes
(I also got a bunch of figments of splendor through anniversary black steel keys, so I decided to barter for the warsteed of the Silent Hunter set. I absolutely love it. The caparison is very similar to the Sand-Striker’s steed from the Legacy of Morgoth bundle, and the halter and mane are reminiscent of the Tide-Breaker’s steed from Corsairs of Umbar. Overall it gives a very Middle-East style vibe that I often associate with Arabian horses. Given Sauron’s associations with the men of Umbar and Harad, I thought it made sense to give the steed to him.)
“Among those of [Melkor’s] servants that have names the greatest was that spirit whom the Eldar caled Sauron, or Gorthaur the Cruel. In his beginning he was of the Maiar of Aulë, and he remained mighty in the lore of that people. In all the deeds of Melkor the Morgoth upon Arda, in his vast works and in the deceits of his cunning, Sauron had a part, and was only less evil than his master in that for long he served another and not himself. But in after years he rose like a shadow of Morgoth and a ghost of his malice, and walked behind him on the same ruinous path down into the Void.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
Sauron. The Abhorred. The Abominable. A name derived from the Quenya adjective saura (foul, vile). A name befitting of Morgoth’s greatest servant. His Sindarin appelation, Gorthaur (the Dread Abomination) held a similar meaning. But just as Morgoth was named Melkor before Feanor cursed him and named himm the Dark Enemy, so too did Sauron once carry a different name.
It’s now pretty common internet lore that Sauron’s original name was Mairon, the Admirable. But unlike with Melkor, the origin of this name is much harder to find. It’s not listed anywhere in The Lord of the Rings, nor in the Silmarillion or any other book published by the Tolkien estate. Instead, he name comes from Parma Eldalamberon Issue 17, a linguistic journal dedicated to compiling and studying Tolkien’s notes on his created languages, including Sinardin, Quenya, Blackspeech, Dwarvish, and even some Rohirric languages. While not published by the Tolkien estate itself, the writings examined in the journal were provided and edited by Christopher Tolkien, and the journal was published with his permission and encouragement.
“Sauron’s original name was Mairon, but this was altered after he was suborned by Melkor. But he continued to call himself Mairon the admirable, or Tar-mairon ‘King Excellent” until after the downfall of Numenor.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, Parma Eldalamberon 17: Words, Phrases, and Passages in Various Tongues in the Lord of the Rings
Mairon, like Sauron, is a name derived from a Quenya adjective joined with a masculin suffix (-on). The adjective in question is mai, or maira, the same adjective from which the word Maiar (the lesser members of the Ainur, of which Sauron was one of them). It can be translated to mean “admirable,” “splendid,” “sublime,” “excellent.” But maira also has another meaning, another interpreation:
Precious.
This is not actually all that different from the definition of “admirable.” After all, “admirable” refers to something worthy of admiration, something of excellence, something sublime. According to Merriam-Webster, “admirable” is defined as “deserving the highest esteem; excellent.” In general, we often think of the word “admirable” as pertaining to individuals or actions, whereas the word “precious” is more often used in regard to objects, something that holds high value, for instance a “precious jewel” or a “precious metal.” In fact, there is another Quenya adjective describing this exact meaning: ‘
“MIR- “prcious.” only = ‘fair, beautiful’ by implication. Q mire (miri) ‘precious’ adjective and “precious thing” noun, especially but not solely a gem, jewel).”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, Parma Eldalamberon 17: Words, Phrases, and Passages in Various Tongues in the Lord of the Rings
But “precious” can also hold the more abstract meaning of “highly esteemed or cherished.” The implication here is that the value comes less from rarity or price, and more from inherent excellence, hence the distinction I make here between the Quenya prefixes mai– and mir-:
“MAY –, excellent, admirable…From MAY are also derived: Q maira, admirable, excellent, precious: maina, a thing of excellence, a treasure; S maer, excellent (also from the next); maen, a treasure.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, Parma Eldalamberon 17: Words, Phrases, and Passages in Various Tongues in the Lord of the Rings
Unlike mir-, which seems to relate more to the value of physical objects, mai- seems to praise the inherent nature of something. Whereas the word saura is a statement of condemnation, the word maer is a word of praise.
Mairon. The Admirable. The Excellent. The Precious.
“[Gollum] possessed a secret treasure that had come to him long ages ago, when he still lived in the light: a ring of gold that made its wearer invisible. It was the one thing he loved, his ‘Precious’, and he talked to it, even when it was not with him. For he kept it hidden safe in a hole on his island, except when he was hunting or spying on the orcs of the mines.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Gollum is not the only one to refer to the One Ring as “precious.” Bilbo did also, as did Frodo, Isildur, and even Saruman.
“He only needs the One; for he made that Ring himself, it is his, and he let a great part of his own former power pass into it, so that he could rule all the others.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
When Sauron forged the One Ring, he poured a great portion of his own spirit into the it. The Ring, therefore, is not merely a means to focus Sauron’s power, but an actual, physical object containing part of his spirit. His life. The Ring is not a mere trinket, it is a part of Mairon himself.
Precious.
“Sauron was not a beginner of discord; and he probably knew more of the ‘Music’ than did Melkor, whose mind had always been filled with his own plans and devices, and gave little attention to other things.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, Morgoth’s Ring
Unlike Melkor, who was discontent from the time of the First Singing, Sauron was not inherently evil. He began with good nature and positive purposes. He saught order, not chaos.
“[Sauron] still had the relics of positive purposes, that descended from the good of the nature in which he began: it had been his virtue (and therefore also the cause of his fall, and of his relapse) that he loved order and co-ordination, and disliked all confusion and wasteful friction. (It was the apparent will and power of Melkor to effect his designs quickly and masterfully that had first attracted Sauron to him.)”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, Morgoth’s Ring
Even after Morgoth’s second defeat, remnants of this good remained. He even, for a time at least, returned to his original goal of healing the desolation of Middle-earth, this time some of it caused by his own hands.
“In the Silmarillion and Tales of the First Age Sauron was a being of Valinor perverted to the service of the Enemy and becoming his chief captain and servant. He repents in fear when the First Enemy is utterly defeated, but in the end does not do as was commanded, return to the judgement of the gods. He lingers in Middle-earth. Very slowly, beginning with fair motives: the reorganising and rehabilitation of the ruin of Middle-earth, ‘neglected by the gods’, he becomes a reincarnation of Evil, and a thing lusting for Complete Power – and so consumed ever more fiercely with hate (especially of gods and Elves).”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, the Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien doesn’t say why Sauron refused to go back to Middle-earth here, but the Silmarillion lays out that he is ashamed. Afraid of humiliation, of punishment. Whether he truly repented, whether he truly wished to heal the desolation of Middle-earth, will never be known, though certainly it seems his actions were already tainted by pride and a desire for power.
“When Thangorodrim was broken and Morgoth overthrown, Sauron put on his fair hue again and did obeisance to Eönwë the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds. And some hold that this was not at first falsely done, but that Sauron in truth repented, if only out of fear, being dismayed by the fal of Morgoth and the great wrath of the Lords of the West. But it was not within the power of Eönwë to pardon those of his own order, and he commanded Sauron to return to Aman and there receive the judgement of Manwë. Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwiling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence, it might be, of long servitude in proof of his good faith; for under Morgoth his power had been great. Therefore when Eönwë departed he hid himself in Middle-earth; and he fel back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth bad laid upon him were very strong.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, the Silmarillion.
Two notes to end on.
1) On the meaning of the name Mairon:
To be clear, the one time the name Mairon is actually mentioned, Tolkien gives it the definition of “the admirable.” But as someone who speaks multiple languages, I can assure you that translating is not a one-to-one science. More so than the word maira meaning “admirable” OR “excellent” OR “precious,” it is more likely that the Quenya word encompasses ALL of these meanings. There is simply not an equivalent english word that captures the totality of its significance, and therefore multiple alternatives are provided to help the reader better grasp the meaning. For example, our english language does not distinguish between “precious” in the terms of inherent excellence and “precious” in terms of financial value. In other words, the word “precious” would be appropriate to use in either setting. But in Quenya it could well be the case that maira is NOT a substitute for mir, and interchanging the two could fundamentally change the meaning of a sentence. Or they could be the exact same, or maybe Tolkien never even thought it through that far. My point here is that there is rarely such a thing as one-to-one translation, and often we try to capture the meaning of a foreign word by providing several adjectives that together encapsulate a meaning that a single word in our own language cannot capture.
Names, however, are different. It is often necessary to provide one particular translation, and in practicality this often comes down to choice – sometimes arbitrary, more often we try to pick a translation that best represents the meaning, even if it is not wholly complete.
2) On the distinction between power and spirit:
So I have heard it said that power and spirit are different, and that while Sauron poured his power into the ring, this did not affect his spirit, or fea. But we do, in fact, know that Sauron’s fea was – although not destroyed, significantly diminished after the destruction of the Ring. Tolkien writes:
“Since no fea can be annihilated, reduced to zero or not-existing, it is not clear what is meant. Thus Sauron was said to have fallen below the point of ever recovering, though he had previously recovered. What is probably meant is that a ‘wicked’ spirit becomes fixed in a certain desire or ambition, and if it cannot repent then this desire becomes virtually its whole being. But the desire may be wholly beyond the weakness it has fallen to, and it will then be unable tow ithdraw its attention from the unobtainable desire, even to attend to itself. It will then remain forever in impotent desire or memory of desire.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
For another thing, “power” in Lord of the Rings seems to be a direct consequence of the spirit. The Valar and the maia are compared in terms of “greater and lesser” spirits, and Melkor is said to be the most powerful because he had greater spirit than his brethren.
“Melkor was not Sauron. We speak of him being ‘weakened, shrunken, reduced;’ but this is in comparison with the great Valar. He had been a being of immense potency and life. The elves certainly held and taught that fear or ‘spirits’ may grow of their own life (independently of hte body), even as they may be hurt and healed, be diminished and renewed. The dark spirit of Melkor’s ‘remainder’ might be expected, there-fore, eventually and after long ages to increase again, even (as some held) to draw back into itself some of its formerly dissipated power. It would do this (even if Sauron could not) because of its relative greatness.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
Just as Sauron poured his spirit into the One Ring, so too did Melkor pour his spirit into Middle-earth in an attempt to corrupt and control it, leaving him weakened and diminished.
“But in this way Morgoth lost (or exchanged, or transmuted) the greater part of his original ‘angelic’ powers, of mind and spirit, while gaining a terrible grip upon the physical world.”
—J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
By the time of his second capture, his spirit was so diminished that the destruction of his body and his “execution” effectively left him powerless and impotent:
“It was then made plain (though it must have been understood beforehand by Manwe and Namo) that, though he had ‘disseminated’ his power (his evil and possessive and rebellious will) far and wide into the matter of Arda, he had lost direct control of this, and all that ‘he’, as a surviving remnant of integral being, retained as ‘himself’ and under control was the terribly shrunken and reduced spirit that inhabited his self- imposed (but now beloved) body. When that body was destroyed he was weak and utterly ‘houseless’, and for that time at a loss and ‘unanchored’ as it were.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
Fun fact, the basis of spirit is also why elves have super-human abilities and better mastery over magic.
“From their beginnings the chief difference between Elves and Men lay in the fate and nature of their spirits. The fear of the Elves were destined to dwell in Arda for all the life of Arda, and the death of the flesh did not abrogate that destiny. Their fear were tenacious therefore of life ‘in the raiment of Arda’, and far excelled the spirits of Men in power over that ‘raiment’, even from the first days (28) protecting their bodies from many ills and assaults (such as disease), and healing them swiftly of injuries, so that they recovered from wounds that would have proved fatal to Men.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
Outfit: Head: Lesser Secret of the West Helmet (black) Shoulders: Expeditionary Camail (black) Back: Swift Wool Cloak of the Dwarfholds (black) Chest: Breastplate of the Ruithador Hands: Gauntlets of the Ruithador Legs: Trousers of the Cudur Feet: Boots of the Porbad
“Feanor’s only descendants were his seven sons, six of whom reached Beleriand. So far nothing has been said of their wives and children. It seems probable that Celebrinbaur (silverfisted, > Celebrimbor) was son of Curufin, but though inheriting his skills he was an Elf of wholly different temper (his mother had refused to take part in the rebellion of Feanor and remained in Aman with the people of Finarphin). During their dwelling in Nargothrond as refugees he had grown to love Finrod and his wife, and was aghast at the behaviour of his father and would not go with him. He later became a great friend of Celeborn and Galadriel.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The History of Middle-Earth XII: The Peoples of Middle Earth
Mossward is a quiet little town, though apparently orcs have been making it slightly less quiet as of late. The villagers are near in a panic, though to Celebrimbor a handful of orcs is nothing to write home about. Last time he was in and around these parts, it was crawling with Sauron’s armies. And even then, a single patrol of orcs is nothing compared to the balrogs he and his uncles faced at the Dagor-nuin-Giliath.
His travel clothes are far too elven for these regions – continuing to wear it would only serve to make him stand out from the crowd even more conspicuously than his pointed ears and bright eyes already do. The spare jacket Meneldir found for him will make a suitable replacement. It is slightly baggy around the middle, the rough fabric rubbing against his skin with every step. His calluses are gone, he has noticed, the once forge-worn skin now soft and pale like a newborn’s. Which, he supposes, he is. In a way.
A part of him wants to laugh. Never would he have thought to find himself in man’s wear, though much of his forge gear wasn’t all too dissimilar. Still, it is a nice change. His Noldor heritage did him little service in his first life – he sees no point in drawing attention to it now in his second.He is no elven lord, no ruler of grand halls or patron of craftsmen. He is not Celebrimbor, Lord of Eregion. Here he is simply Telperinquar, or Telperin to the men and hobbits who struggle to pronounce the old Quenya, a seemingly aimless traveller who sticks to corners and observes more than he speaks. Just a few moments ago a happy drunkard called out a slurred farewell as he stumbled back to his home. He had called him, “Telpe.” Silver. It is nice, Celebrimbor thinks. Simple. Short. A description, not a doom.
A local villager was asking for boar meat. Celebrimbor has nothing to do, and his fingers itch to wield something again, even if it be a bow and not a hammer. Perhaps a bow will be better. Sometimes even the thought of crafting is enough to make him wince.
He’s here for boar, not pheasant, but this particular fool might as well be asking to be hunted.
“Now Celebrimbor was not corrupted in heart or faith, but had accepted Sauron as what he posed to be; and when at length he discovered the existence of the One Ring he revolted against Sauron.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth
It has been literal ages since he’s held a bow. But some things are hard forgotten, and though his passions always led toward the forge, his youth was filled with martial training. It had had to be, particularly after the swearing of the Oath and the trek to Middle Earth, and while Celebrimbor had not personally participated in the Kinslaying at Alqualondë (nor the two that thereafter followed), his hands were nothing if not stained.
Outfit: Shoulders: Rare Mathom-Hunter's Mantle (black) Back: Cloak of the Grey Company (black) Chest: Robe of Anorien Mercy (steel blue) Hands: Leather Gauntlets of the Leaping Stag (steel blue) Feet: Tough Boots of the Anorien Tree (black) Bow: Archer's Ally Mainhand: Defender of Gwingris Offhand: Maethigil
Steed: Head: Shimmering Breeze Head-Piece Body: Caparison of the Yield (black) Legs: Leg-Guards of the Gundabad Reclaimer Saddle: Hunter's Saddle Gear: Champion's Gear
Two things about the warsteed – 1) I will never be able to express enough how much it sucks that we don’t get all the same dye colors. Like where is steel blue for warsteed stuff, huh??? and 2) rolling a new toon and realizing all the fesival gear and warsteed cosmetics you have on other toons are missing and you have to wait a whole 6 months for the festivals to come around again. Sigh.
“Sauron had never reached [Melkor’s] stage of nihilistic madness. He did not object to the existence of the world, so long as he could do what he liked with it. He still had the relics of positive purposes, that descended from the good of the nature in which he began: it had been his virtue (and therefore also the cause of his fall, and of his relapse) that he loved order and coordination, and disliked all confusion and wasteful friction. (It was the apparent will and power of Melkor to effect his designs quickly and masterfully that had first attracted Sauron to him.)”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
It was inevitable, really. He tried to avoid it for as long as he could, but his orders from Eru are clear: help destroy the ring he so desperately longs for, the well of gold into which he poured the better part of his spirit – or lose the fragile fana he’s currently inhabiting – the one fragment of spirit he still has left. And so Mairon has come to Bree, a crumbling city with festering sewers that reek of excrement and decay, all in search of a ranger called Strider.
He knows little of this man, but already he despises him.
The surge of life around him is nearly overwhelming. The streets are bustling with trade, children running to and fro as dogs and pigs and sheep wander unchecked. It is loud, vibrant, chaotic. Above all else, Mairon abhors chaos.
A ruddy-faced dwarf offers him a mug of ale. The very air thrums around him, insistant. Perhaps the alcohol will dim his senses enough to dull the cacophony of noise and light assaulting his senses. He doubts it. Even in this elven fana, his fea is far stronger than any of the Eldar. He takes the drink, anyway.
The alcohol burns on its way down. The sensation is there, though he senses no change to his awareness. He wonders how long it will take – if at all. He has never been drunk before. Mortal men are weaker of spirit than the Eldar. Unlike the elves, whose immortal fëa will remain in Arda until the world itself comes to an end, mortal men will inevitably die. Even the long lived Numenoreans eventually faced death. By their very nature men are crippled, bound intrinsically to their hroa, easily swayed by the pleasures of the flesh and even more easily threatened by the loss of it. For this reason Mairon disdained them, but he also found them more useful as pawns. Their weaker spirits left them more malleable, more easily corruptible. He knows his disdain is likely driven in part by his master’s own dislike for the Secondborn. Weaker in spirit even than the elves, yet somehow held in just as much esteem (if not more) by their Creator. But Mairon is not Melkor, and as he watches the inhabitants of Bree rush too and fro with joyful urgency, he is reminded of this fact.
“When Melkor was confronted by the existence of other inhabitants of Arda, with other wills and intelligences, he was enraged by the mere fact of their existence, and his only notion of dealing with them was by physical force, or the fear of it. His sole ultimate object was their destruction. Elves, and still more Men, he despised because of their ‘weakness’: that is their lack of physical force, or power over ‘matter’; but he was also afraid of them.”
Their spirits are weaker, their command over matter and flesh more precarious and inconsistent. Yet somehow they are brilliant. The very mortality that dims their spirit increases the fervor of their days, and while perhaps of duller substance than their Eldar brethren, the passion with which they live seems to burn with an intensity so brilliant it almost makes up for the lack of brightness. Life here is quicker than that amongst the elves, more hurried, more purposeful. Like a candle burning, swift to melt but all the brighter as it dies. And when they end, their end will be final, though as to their ultimate fate even Mairon does not know. For that is the Gift of Men, the Gift of Illuvitar, the ability to pass beyond the walls of Arda and be truly liberated from the confines of the world. It is a gift even Mairon cannot possess, and for that very reason he is here now, submitting to Eru’s plan rather than exist as an angry but impotent spirit, doomed to stew in his hatred and resentment as the seasons change and the ages pass, able only to watch and seethe and suffer until the end of days and the Dagor Dagorath. Because he too, is bound to this world. And while his powers have been diminished (mostly, though he hates to admit it, by his own actions), his fëa cannot be destroyed.
He removes his hood. He has no need for it, he realizes. Not here. These brightly dying mortal men do not know him. He is not sure, should he look into a mirror, that he would even recognize himself. This is the first time he’s donned a fana not of his own choosing.
The air is filled with the scent of roasted pork and baking bread. Mairon does not need food to survive. Moreover he knows that eating or drinking will only increase his fea’s dependence on this fana. As one of the ainur, particularly the lesser maiar, Mairon knows that the more he engages with bodily faculties, the more difficult he will find to go without them. But the aroma of freshly baked bread is mouthwatering, and Mairon is curious. Mairon has always been curious. Curious of the Music he and his brethren sang, curious of the wonders the forge master Aule showed him when they descended to Valinor, more curious still of the potential order Melkor promised if he forsook his master and came to his side. Curiosity is dangerous, Mairon has learned. But surely curiosity about bread will not be his downfall.
“Though in origin a ‘self-arraying’, it may tend to approach the state of ‘incarnation’, especially with the lesser members of that order (the Maiar). ‘It is said that the longer and the more the same hröa is used, the greater is the bond of habit, and the less do the ‘self arrayed’ desire to leave it.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, Osanwe Kenta“The ‘spirit’ (that is, one of those not embodied by creation) uses a hröa for the furtherance of its personal purposes, or (still more) for the enjoyment of bodily faculties, it finds it increasingly difficult to operate without the hröa. The things that are most binding are those that in the Incarnate have to do with the life of the hröa itself, its substance and its propagation. Thus eating and drinking are binding, but not the delight in beauty in sound or form. Most binding is begetting or conceiving.”– J.R.R. Tolkien, Osanwe Kenta
He is bound to this fana, anyway. More than a “habit” or a “customary garb,” it is his shackle. He may as well enjoy it.
There is a quiet charm about the place. It’s certainly no Ost-in-Edhil, but neither is it an abandoned shell. There is purpose amidst the chaos, even if he can’t quite see the order. But there is warmth. And there are cats.
So. Many. Cats.
Mairon doesn’t know whose house this is or why they have left it unlocked. Nor does he know why the entire dwelling is covered nearly floor to ceiling with felines, sleeping and playing, purring their content and hissing their annoyance. Yet somehow it is quiet. Somehow, things are still.
Yavanna had tried (and failed) repeatedly to impress upon him the importance of living creatures. A waste, perhaps, but being favored by her husband Aule, she had sought to foster a bond with him. Yet despite her efforts, Mairon had always vastly preferred the rigid, predictable nature of metal to the free-spirited Children of Illuvitar. It could be molded and shaped, but always according to a preordained pattern or rule of motion. The Children, however, were infinitely more difficult to persuade. Even if it was for the purpose of the greater good. Even if it would lead to a neater, tidier, better world.
“[Sauron’s] capability of corrupting other minds, and even engaging their service, was a residue from the fact that his original desire for ‘order’ had really envisaged the good estate (especially physical well-being) of his ‘subjects’.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
At any rate…these cats aren’t so bad. They’re actually kind of…calming. Even if they won’t obey his commands to sit or stay.
At least Draugluin Jr. is obedient.
He ventures out into the streets once more. He can feel it before he can see it. From a couple streets away the heat of the forge calls to him, flame drawn to flame. He is first and foremost a spirit of fire, and it has been long since he last held a hammer in his hands.
Outfit: Head: Lesser Secret of the West Helmet (crimson) Shoulders: Rare Mathom-Hunter's Mantle (crimson) Back: Cloak of the Raven (crimson) Chest: Anorian Campaign Robe (steel blue) Hands: Leather Gauntlets of the Leaping Stag (crimson) Feet: Lesser Memory of the West Shoes (sienna)
“Even then [Melkor] had secret friends and spies among the Maiar whom he had converted to his cause, and of these the chief, as after became known, was Sauron, a great craftsman of the household of Aule.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring“Though of immensely smaller native power than his Master, [Sauron] remained less corrupt, cooler and more capable of calculation. At least in the Elder Days, and before he was bereft of his lord and fell into the folly of imitating him, and endeavouring to become himself supreme Lord of Middle-earth. While Morgoth still stood, Sauron did not seek his own supremacy, but worked and schemed for another, desiring the triumph of Melkor, whom in the beginning he had adored. He thus was often able to achieve things, first conceived by Melkor, which his master did not or could not complete in the furious haste of his malice.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
Aulë was good to him. Melkor had been brilliant, but Aulë was warm, soothing, like sunlight after rain or the feeling in a smile. Melkor’s flames had shown brighter, but in his presence Mairon ever felt the tinge of frost. Fire, ice, Melkor cared not for the means of destruction. Only that it was achieved, that he might at last be at peace.
Here, now, in the craft hall of Bree, surrounded by the heat of a forge, Mairon feels something akin to a peace of his own. The quartermaster nearby asked him to make a simple buckler shield. Easy. Trivial, even. But there is comfort in the clang of the anvil, the familiar way his hands curl around the hammer, the way soot and ash pepper his skin without burning the way they should a mortal. Order, process, purpose. This is beauty, even if the metal is cheap and the coals are nearly spent.
“Morgoth had no ‘plan’: unless destruction and reduction to nil of a world in which he had only a share can be called a ‘plan’. But this is, of course, a simplification of the situation. Sauron had not served Morgoth, even in his last stages, without becoming infected by his lust for destruction, and his hatred of God (which must end in nihilism). Sauron could not, of course, be a ‘sincere’ atheist. Though one of the minor spirits created before the world, he knew Eru, according to his measure. He probably deluded himself with the notion that the Valar (including Melkor) having failed, Eru had simply abandoned Ea, or at any rate Arda, and would not concern himself with it any more.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
He had thought Arda abandoned by the Powers. But he is here of Eru’s accord, and in this chaotic mess of a city he has seen the finger prints of Aule and Yavanna in equal measure.
“Sauron was not a ‘sincere’ atheist, but he preached atheism, because it weakened resistance to himself (and he had ceased to fear God’s action in Arda). As was seen in the case of Ar-Pharazon. But there was seen the effect of Melkor upon Sauron: he spoke of Melkor in Melkor’s own terms: as a god, or even as God. This may have been the residue of a state which was in a sense a shadow of good: the ability once in Sauron at least to admire or admit the superiority of a being other than himself.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth X: Morgoth’s Ring
Perhaps it is time to go see this Strider. He has a mission to fulfill, after all, even if it is not his own.
“When Sauron learned of the repentance and revolt of Celebrimbor his disguise fell and his wrath was revealed; and gathering a great force he moved over Calenardhon (Rohan) to the invasion of Eriador in the year 1695. When news of this reached Gil-galad he sent out a force under Elrond Half-elven; but Elrond had far to go, and Sauron turned north and made at once for Eregion. The scouts and vanguard of Sauron’s host were already approaching when Celeborn made a sortie and drove them back; but though he was able to join his force to that of Elrond they could not return to Eregion, for Sauron’s host was far greater than theirs, great enough both to hold them off and closely to invest Eregion. At last the attackers broke into Eregion with ruin and devastation, and captured the chief object of Sauron’s assault, the House of the Mirdain, where were their smithies and their treasures. Celebrimbor, desperate, himself with stood Sauron on the steps of the great door of the Mirdain; but he was grappled and taken captive, and the House was ransacked. There Sauron took the Nine Rings and other lesser works of the Mirdain; but the Seven and the Three he could not find. Then Celebrimbor was put to torment, and Sauron learned from him where the Seven were bestowed. This Celebrimbor revealed, because neither the Seven nor the Nine did he value as he valued the Three; the Seven and the Nine were made with Sauron’s aid, whereas the Three were made by Celebrimbor alone, with a different power and purpose.“
– J.R.R. Tolkien, Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth
Celebrimbor did not give up the Three. In this, at least, he can hold some comfort, can retain some semblance of pride. He may have been deceived, but he did not succumb. Not in the end, at least. But there is no escaping his shame. Not even the Halls of Rest could heal the ache of that wound, self-inflicted despite his steadfast attempts not to repeat the mistakes of his forebearers. Then again, he was one of the Noldor, the last scion of Feanor. Perhaps he was doomed from the start. Perhaps after his death he should have lingered, condemenned himself to an eternity of drifting guilt. But Celebrimbor did not. In what he still cannot decide was a moment of cowardice or bravery, he heeded the Call.
“Each fea was imperishable within the life of Arda, and that its fate was to inhabit Arda to its end. Those fea, therefore, that in the marring of Arda suffered unnaturally a divorce from their hrondor [> hroar] remained still in Arda and in Time. But in this state they were open to the direct instruction and command of the Valar. As soon as they were disbodied they were summoned to leave the places of their life and death and go to the ‘Halls of Waiting’: Mandos, in the realm of the Valar. If they obeyed this summons different opportunities lay before them.(32) The length of time that they dwelt in Waiting was partly at the will of Namo the Judge, lord of Mandos, partly at their own will. The happiest fortune, they deemed, was after the Waiting to be re-born, for so the evil and grief that they had suffered in the curtailment of their natural course might be redressed.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, Morgoth’s Ring
Celebrimbor was a proud elf, once. Now he carries shame. No amount of rest would ever restore that, No amount of strolling through the cavernous halls of Mandos, formless eyes roving across the tapestries of Varie, searching for meaning. No, likely he would have to walk straight into the Void to find his pride once more, and even then, Sauron would walk with him. At least in thought.
“For there was, for all the fea of the Dead, a time of Waiting, in which, howsoever they had died, they were corrected, instructed, strengthened, or comforted, according to their needs or deserts. If they would consent to this. But the fea in its nakedness is obdurate, and remains long in the bondage of its memory and old purposes (especially if these were evil). Those who were healed could be re-born, if they desired it: none are re-born or sent back into life unwilling. The others remained, by desire or command, fear unbodied, and they could only observe the unfolding of the Tale of Arda from afar, having no effect therein. For it was a doom of Mandos that only those who took up life again might operate in Arda, or commune with the fear of the Living, even with those that had once been dear to them.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, Morgoth’s Ring
Celebrimbor has been returned to life. He is not his grandfather, doomed to reside within Namo’s halls until the Dagor Dagorath shakes the earth and the world is remade through the Second Music. Upon his death he heeded the call of Mandos, and now according to his kind, he has been re-embodied, through the grace of the Valar even allowed to return to the shores of Middle Earth. Perhaps he can refind himself here, even if a part of him still wishes that Celebrimbor, son of Curifin, son of Feanor, had died back in the wreckage of his city, along with the Gwaith-i-Mirdain, along with his hopes and dreams, forever to stay buried under the rubble he may as well have brought down himself.
Okay, normally I kind of resign myself to LOTRO toons looking kind of…uh…not great, shall we say, but dang. Celebrimbor turned out nice.
He arrives at the Grey Havens, passing swiftly through to Celondim. The elves of Middle Earth have continued to diminish, but there is something about seeing the once-familiar landscape rise around him in stoic collums and craggly rock-faces, something that twists his heart and wrenches his spirit, almost as if his fea was once again trying to separate from his hroa.
Celebrimbor does not want to be remembered. So he forgoes his Sindarin name, insisting instead on the Quenya, “Telperinquar.” The older elves will see through it in an instant – if they don’t recognize him by face first, that is – but that is no matter. The older elves are precisely the ones he wishes to avoid, and few men in Middle Earth will have knowledge enough of the elven tongues to parse through the barely concealed riddle.
His braids and clasps he chooses to forgoe as well, allowing his hair to fall loose at his side. Anything to distnce himself from the elf he once was.
A new hroa. A new start.
One last hail towards Aman. One last bow. Then he is off.
He leaves Celdonim at sunset, headed for Cardolan. His work on Middle Earth is nowhere near from finished, but if he is to start anew, he must first visit where things ended.
Outfit: Shoulders: Medium Nadhin Shoulders (steel blue) Back: Swift Wool Cloak of the Dwarf-Holds (steel blue) -- I know. I've been using this one for EVERYTHING. I just really like it. Chest: Alliance of the Third Age Hauberk (steel blue) Hands: The Bowmaster's Gloves (steel blue) Feet: Threadbare Boots of the Dunland Healer (steel blue)
Yay! Second lore-inspired character. And yes, he I know he’s usiing the same hairstyle as Mairon, but I really like it and lets be honest hair choices in this game for male characters are um…lacking. I do like the braided one I used in the earlier screenshots though, and that one will probably be making a reappearance at some point. I’m also kind of peeved that the outfit he’s waring in the Doom of Caras Gelebren skirmish isn’t available in game. It’s REALLY nice armor.
So it took a long time picking a class. Race and background were fairly straightforward – High elf from Nargothrond, as that was where he dwelled for a long while before coming to Eregion and establishing the Gwaith-i-Mirdain. But class gave me pause. I know in the character creater it says the class of runekeeper was inspired by Celebrimbor, and when it comes to knowledge of ancient lore and the workings of the world, I buy that. But when it comes to fighting style? Not so much. Part of that comes down to runekeeper being a “magic” class, and speaking lorewise, there are VERY few users of magic in LOTR. I definitely have other RKs that I love to play, and it made sense to me when making my Sauron-inspired character to give him the use of magic, but as for the elves, I just don’t see them lore-wise fighting without weapons. Elves have greater spiritual power than men, hobbits, and dwarves, and some of the older elves have even more inherent power, like Elrond and Galadriel and Glorfindel. But still, these elves don’t simply weild magic to fight like the Istari or the Ainur do. Plus, Celebrimbor is a descendent of Feanor, one of the Noldor, who fought in battles throughout the First and Second Ages. Even the in-game instance with him shows him fighting with a shield and a hammer. So I just couldn’t justify giving him a class that didn’t use a melee weapon. Nor did I think that Loremaster would be a good fit, as the main weapon is a staff. Honestly I would love LOTRO to consider adding some kind of class that mixes blades with magic, but magic is already such a weird topic when it comes to LOTR that I do appreciate them trying to keep those classes more minimal.
In the end (and with the help of World Chat — thank you in this instance for being constructive!) I decided on champion. I’ve played a bunch of champs before, so I wasn’t super thrilled at not being able to explore new class dynamics, but I thought it was the best fit. This way he can wield a bow (like any good elf lol), a sword, and an offhand weapon – like a hammer. This choice was definitely somewhat inspired by Celebrimbor’s portrayal in the Shadow of Mordor franchise, which, although straying substantially from plot points in lore, does actually do a lot to honor the legendarium.
Also I’ve been sleeping on this hauberk. I’ve had it for literal years, but since I didn’t have a male elf toon that was a heavy armor class, I just never thought to use it. Big miss on my part.
LOTRO Adventurer 