The Place, the People by Himring

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Fanwork Notes

I think I won't finish this by the deadline of 10 September, but here is a first chapter.

As for the Utopia/Dystopia challenge prompts, I was thinking of "Utopia" by Alanis Morissette, which may become clearer when I manage to finish this ("when", not "if", she says firmly).

I have included an allusion to The Peach Blossom Spring in this first chapter.

This quot. will also become relevant, further on, as evident from the summary:

"'The king and queen grow old, though all know it not, for they are seldom seen. They ask where is the undying life that Sauron promised them if they would build the Temple for Morgoth. The Temple is built, but they are grown old. But Sauron foresaw this, and I hear (already the whisper is gone forth) that he declareth that Morgoth’s bounty is restrained by the Lords, and cannot be fulfilled while they bar the way. To win life Tarkalion must win the West. We see now the purpose of the towers and weapons. War is already being talked of - though they do not name the enemy. But I tell thee: it is known to many that the war will go west to Eressea: and beyond. Dost thou perceive the extremity of our peril, and the madness of the king? Yet this doom draws swiftly near.'" - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lost Road


Teens rating for general canonical background dark stuff.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Turgon, who failed to evacuate Gondolin in time, will eventually become a driving force behind the successful evacuation of Tirion when Pharazon's army invades Valinor.

But the story begins with his return to Tirion from Mandos.

Major Characters: Elenwë, Turgon

Major Relationships:

Artwork Type: No artwork type listed

Genre: General

Challenges: Akallabêth in August, Utopia/Dystopia

Rating: Teens

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 704
Posted on 6 September 2020 Updated on 6 September 2020

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Comments

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This is a really fascinating take on reembodiment - I love that Turgon thought he'd figured it all out, considered himself "cured", and then realised that things weren't as clear-cut as that. Above all, I love how sensible Elenwe is: There is no cure - there is nothing to cure, actually - just the need to figure out how to live with the imperfections.

 

Thank you very much!

I tend to be a bit cautious or sceptical about a stay in the Halls curing elves completely of everything, anyway--especially when I am myself engaging with the thoughts of re-embodied elves in writing (that possibly just shows the limits of my imagination!). I am not sure that there is nothing to cure at all, for Turgon, but he is certainly over-simplifying and is in danger of trying too hard to fix the wrong problem. 

Turgon seems to me to be wavering in canon between a slightly too-rigid orthodoxy and other impulses that are much less orthodox and that he doesn't fully acknowledge.

I am glad you like sensible Elenwe!