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You have a real talent for showing villians in a fascinating (indeed, appealing) light.  Are you  SURE you're not in the employ of Morgoth? :)

I love the idea of the Valar using a meteorite strike against Angband, and the image of the supposedly 'good' Noldor hunting a species into extinction.  And this fic shows very well how Sauron's pride (with a little nudge from Morgoth's disembodied voice) costs him a true chance for redemption.  Well done!

This is absolutely magnificent. I love the science fiction-y explanation of Earendil helming a spaceship that's firing missiles and then the whole thing culminating with a giant meteor blowing everything to hell. That just all really works well for me.

The interactions with Eonwe - he comes across as completely creepy and all-too-eager to take his former colleague in for punishment.

I love that Mairon starts with very good intentions - of helping people who've largely been ignored by the Valar, that they're initially hesitant about him and that he has to prove himself to them first - and that he has to prove himself as a hunter, and will have to prove himself again to the 'Mother' of the tribe (and I really look forward to seeing that).

Just wonderful!

"Earendil helming a spaceship that's firing missiles"

 Hee! If indeed that is what it is. >:^)  Arthur C. Clarke's Third Law is full operative in the Pandë!verse.

We've discussed this off-the-radar, but there is a lot of technology churning below the surface of this mythic world, and anyone who thinks science fiction is not appropriate to Tolkien would do well to read The Lost Road and The Notion Club Papers.  Especially The Notion Club Papers! 

Re: Eonwë.  Yep, my vision of the Ainur is not that of thinly disguised quasi-pagan but vaguely Catholic saints. ;^) 

I've taken this excerpt (from Tolkien's draft letter [153] to Peter Hastings and run with it: "He (Sauron) was given an opportunity of repentance, when Morgoth was overcome, but could not face the humiliation of recantation, and suing for pardon; and so his temporary turn to good and 'benevolence' ended in a greater relapse."

Thanks so much!  i am especially pleased that you enjoyed this. 

Hi Pande.

As I was getting very sporadic notifications on my old account, I created a new one.  

I can't possibly choose what stands out the most to me in this piece - because it all does. I love the wonderful sense of ancientness evoked by the now-extinct creatures, it gives a real sense of 'time' which I don't see in fanfic, never this placing of the timeline and allowing myself to truly see this as the Earth's past.  

the obvious ridges of their ribs and jutting shoulder and pelvic bones provided evidence that they had only recently regained their health. Little wonder, Mairon thought, given that the cataclysms in the West had shadowed the sunlight for more than a year, disrupting weather patterns and causing herds to thin and crops to fail. 

I LOVE it when you think outside the parameters (which is always!)  and bring this in. The War of Wrath must have changed the weather patterns of the globe and (surely) extensive vulcanism, but we never hear how it affected the world and the people.  The Men are wonderfully portrayed; there is no elegance here, no urbanity,  but there is energy, strength and a great vividness. I love how you don't denigrate the people of the east and south, but make them real, fascinating cultures. 

You write Sauron's mind-workings so well. I can imagine quite ll his balking at giving himself up, and  this really said it all to me: - 

Then he considered his greatest fear: if he subjected himself to Eonwë and returned to Aman, he would forfeit control of his life, and the prospect of that shook him to his very core.

I could never imagine your Sauron giving up control of his life. That rigs very true to me. And with my own view of the Valar, I can *see* Eonwë as he is there.

Magnificent stuff! Super!! So rich.

Spice!  I'm glad you created a new account!  You're missed here. :^)

Thank you so much for your lovely compliments.  Adding the paleontological scene at the beginning is more than a little self-indulgent on my part, but hey, JRRT was keenly interested in paleontology so why not?  Just like JRRT, my alternate history is a highly imaginative one so there are recognizable aspects of the Earth's past in the Pandë!verse.  So if this has a strong feel of Earth's past, then I have successfully pulled you into my version of "elvish drama." :^)

And yes, my version of Sauron is that of a control freak of the first order -- not unlike a lot of sr. managers I have reported to!

Thanks again!

I've always liked how you fleshed out your characters, particularly Sauron, but in this story, I was also fascinated with how you portrayed Eonwë--from the perfectly symmetrical cushions in his tent to the vengeful look in his eyes.  I also enjoyed Sauron's study of human behavior and his initial intent here to share his knowledge with humans.

And just a teeny question:  would the auroch be equivalent to deer or something else?

 

 

Thanks so much, Wavey!  I figure that Sauron is as curious as a cat and studies what ultimately will be his prey and comes to think he understands human motivation well, but he -- as he becomes more despotic and consumed with ambition -- will have his blind spots.

Here's an auroch.

And with regard to your reaction to my portrayal of Eonwë?  I'll let Montgomery Burns answer for me here: Exxxxxcellent! ;^)

 

Oh dear, I have no idea where to begin since so much is now going around in my head. The build up of the story is just superb. I surely can imagine why people might wonder why it starts like this, but as you read along: it suddenly becomes clear. And ah Eonwe's gambit, makes one wonder what would have happened if he did not reveal his personal glee. What more, there is so much symbolism here, so many things that made me go like: oh yes, yups, makes sense. Of course and then the layers hidden within the story. I could rant on and on, but to me the hunt for the well formed bull, perhaps I am mistaken, but to me it felt that symbolically Sauron would rather help bringing down Melkor and leading it to its doom so that he could benefit from it. And oh, the unroofing of Angband, Varda's weapons (squee!), all marvellously done. I probably can go on for a while longer, but let's stop. Fabulous story!

Thanks muchly, Rhapsy!  As I noted in a previous response, the paleontological scene is pretty self-indulgent, but it does give a nod to the old Oxford don who was interested in that discipline. :^)

Even if Eonwë had been more contained, I think those cushions freaked Sauron out! :^D You're right about the hunt.  My Sauron is nothing if not very opportunistic.

Thanks again! 

I love the descriptions of prehistoric animals and the cave paintings. You're placing it quite firmly in our world, which I dearly appreciate.

A meteor with lasting consequences. Yes, the rest of the world have little reason to love the Valar and the Noldor.

Mairon's fear of losing control is quite stunningly believable. I think it's why some of the Exiles and the Sindar refused to leave Middle-earth: to go willingly into a cage. And Eönwë is creepy.

And the Gerard Way quote, I believe, is quite applicable to the Fëanorians as well.

There's just a bit of humor with his lupine insticts. Sorry, DM, but I couldn't help but laugh.

Even though Eonwë had rejected his proposal, Mairon was determined to adhere to it: to pay his penance for joining Melkor by freely sharing his considerable knowledge with others, to teach Men and the Dark Elves and bring order and control to the chaos of this world.

And so it begins…

Wonderful, wonderful tale.

Thanks so much, Indy!    I will qualify that that an "imaginary prehistory" is both operative in my tertiary world of JRRT's secondary one which in turn is an 'imaginary history" of our own world.  You're well aware of my obsession with the old Oxford don's essays on the origins of the sun and the moon in "Myths Transformed" (JRRT also touches upon this in the footnotes to Athrabeth Finrod ah Adraneth) so this seemed to be a logical extension.  Sauron has always struck me as being a control-freak of the highest magnitude so it followed (to me) that he not only would not want to reliquish power, but also control and order over his life. 

Thanks again! 

As with the first time I read it, the description of the War of Wrath is just ... astounding. Visceral, terrifying; the hair on my arms stands up when I read it. And, of course, you would be the one to point out the effect such a cataclysmic event would have on the innocents in the world beyond Beleriand; the Valar have done them no favors, nor lended them any aid, so it makes sense that they would turn to one who did. I have always enjoyed this about your perspective: That rather than taking the road-well-traveled and assuming that those who followed Sauron (or even Melkor) did so because of an inate moral weakness or failing (with all of the racist/anti-non-Christian implications of that) but because Sauron and Melkor would help them when the Valar (or Noldor) would not. I suspect that this is an uncomfortable idea for many Tolkien fans, but I think it's an unavoidable one.

And, yes, your Eonwe is a creepy one. ;) I think the flyaway white hair did me in! But, again, I like how you show how his failings are in part to account for Sauron's refusal to return to Valinor. Eonwe's personal greed and lust for power here is not much different than that of the comparably "lowly" chieftain who chooses an unknowing alliance with Sauron, due in large part to personal greed and a lust for power. Excellent work--I'm glad AinA provided the impetus for this story to be finished and finally see light of day! :)

It occurred to me today that I needed to re-classify this story into the genre you created just for me:  science fiction or as JRRT called it "scientifiction." ;^)   Whenever I read JRRT's writings, whether in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, the HoMe or The Letters of JRRT, I can't help but ask (like many of us ficcish types do): "What are the consequences of this?"  Sometimes the consequences may be moral, societal, psychological or physical (which includes biological).  In the case of the destruction of Beleriand, it's physical.  Setting aside the oddly long chronology of its destruction (that's right up there with Maedhros hanging off the cliff for years), such massive terraforming had to have consequences on the rest of the world.  The idea of an asteroid or small comet smacking into Beleriand is not an original idea (and I likely stumbled across this on a nerdly newslist group at some point), but it seemed like a potentially awful weapon.  Even excluding that, the sinking/destruction of such a large landmass had to have significant geological consequences.

My portrayal of Sauron also derives from consequences of what JRRT wrote or at least implications.  Canonically speaking (zounds!  I used the "c" word!), he was in possession of a great deal of knowledge and in fact shared it.  So it's hardly a stretch for me to imagine a Sauron that is almost like a "technological Finrod," but with considerably different motivations. 

"And, yes, your Eonwe is a creepy one."

Exxxcellent.  No one is wholly good in my 'verse, just as no one is wholly evil. 

"That rather than taking the road-well-traveled and assuming that those who followed Sauron (or even Melkor) did so because of an inate moral weakness or failing (with all of the racist/anti-non-Christian implications of that) but because Sauron and Melkor would help them when the Valar (or Noldor) would not. I suspect that this is an uncomfortable idea for many Tolkien fans, but I think it's an unavoidable one."

Thank you very much indeed for that.  I'd like to think there is room for us humanists in JRRT's world. :^)  And sometimes an honest humanistic evalution takes us to uncomfortable ideas.

 

 

I had the priviledge of Eli reading this to me while I was away. There are a lot of things to love about this story. I loved your opening, the image of the carcas and the scavengers fighing over it. It seemed almost symbolic to me. Your images of the battle of the Valar with melkor were incredible, the images of Sauron fleeing. Your exchange between Eonwe and Mairon (Sauron) gav me chills. Yes, I could buy that disembodied voice of Melkor telling him not to let them take him alive.

The hunt was well written. I could almost taste the fermented milk 'shudders". I absolutely loved this. I love how your Sauron has these human/frail qualities too. I enjoy reading him very much. And your Eownwe gav me chills.

Thanks so much, Roisin.  This story, like the milk :^D, has been fermenting for a while, so I figured AinA 2009 would provide me with the motivation to dig it out of iAngband and polish it up.  I'm so glad this worked for you and that it provided a diversion for you when you really needed one.  I'll bet Eli got the DM's "voice" right, too. ;^)  Thanks again!

Hmmm, where to start...

First, I squeed happily -- even if it wouldn't seem proper at regarding the kill scene -- at the appearance of the prehistoric animals. The read gave me the impression as if I was once again a small girl that browsed, fascinated, through the books on paleontology illustrated by Zdenek Burian :D

Then, the War of Wrath and Eonwe: the Valar took the easiest route they could. After all, not only those "hated" Noldor lived in the lands of Beleriand prior to the War, but hey, they just decided to do something akin to dropping an atomic bomb, so to speak. And while I'm still far from justifying Sauron's machinations and I still consider him evil (even if not wholly evil as we often agreed before), I can so see him wince at the very thought of being judged by the Valarin "Sacrum Officium".

The hunt scene reminds me firmly of the hunt for buffalos from "Dances with Wolves" -- it's the gorgeous imagery, I think, and the dynamics of the scene.

And once again, His Lordship proves that he knows every little shade of the nature of a human being. He controls the game, even though at first the chieftain thought he was the boss there ;)

Loved the presicion of DM's observations and his animalistic reactions to some of the aspects of the entire outcome.

This is a terrific story. Thank you :D

 

 

 "The read gave me the impression as if I was once again a small girl that browsed, fascinated, through the books on paleontology illustrated by Zdenek Burian"

Squeeeeeee!  Likewise, I loved the illustrations by Burian in paleontology books which I poured over when I was a little girl; I wanted to be a paleontologist then. Maybe it's in the blood -- my great-great uncle was a well known paleontologist of his era.  I have added a different Burian illustration to the body of "How the East Was Won." :^)

"I'm still far from justifying Sauron's machinations..."

Same here although I am certain his Lordship could justify them to you. :^)  His actions in the First Age were -- in a word -- reprehensible, and continued in this line after his backsliding in the Second Age.  Still, one must ask what do those "relics of good," as JRRT put it, mean?  The Valar strike me as a combination of compassionate, cruel, capricious and detached.  Although relatively "saintly" in The Silmarillion (and I do say "relatively), maybe those are holdovers from the HoMe when they were more obviously pagan -- and pretty scary -- godlike beings.  So the HoMe version informs me more than The Silm.

"And once again, His Lordship proves that he knows every little shade of the nature of a human being."

This passage from "Myths Transformed" influenced me in a big way in my admittedly rather expansive treatment of Sauron (but it is one of those consequence things as I noted to Dawn).

He (Sauron) was only a rather cleverer  Radagast -- cleverer, because it is more profitable (more productive of power) to become absorbed in the study of people than of animals.                 

Thanks so much, Binka!  I always value you input and greatly appreciate having you as a regular reader!

All the paleontology/anthropology/Earendil throwing missiles/meteor that destroys Beleriand/ nuclear winter/ Noldor hunting species to extinction (Prince Charming Finrod of all empathetic people) elements of the story are so apt that I kept saying, "yes, of course" but a the same time so creative that they cast an altogether different  light on all the characters and events. But as if this was not enough, there is the pace of the narration that never flags and the main character who never ceases to develop into somebody recognizabe yet distinct. A truly magnificent story.

Thanks so much, Angelica!  I'm glad you enjoyed this!

You know, your "Name-Calling" essay greatly influences (and justifies, i think) my continued interpretation of the Noldor, the Sindar, the Nandor, etc. as distinctly different cultures with equally different values.  Tolkien elaborates extensively in Parma Eldalamberon 17 about the meanings of "home," dwelling place" and "house" (under the entry "ambar" ~ p 106 or thereabouts), and states that the Noldor were "builders" of towns with fortified walls and of family houses or manors whereas the Silvans had less settled dwellings.  This implies that the Noldor might be less "environmentally conscious" than their Sindarin and Silvan kin and that their royal houses in which the princes hunted would not think twice about killing a spectacular cervid like the Irish elk (just added a Zdenek Burian illustration to the body of the story) until there were no more.

Yes, this is quite scientifictitious, but hey, if JRRT could indulge in The Notion Club Papers with regard to his vision of Middle-earth, I figured, why not? 

"the main character who never ceases to develop into somebody recognizabe yet distinct"

Oh, good!  That's my goal with that particular character -- one can still recognize him, but he has more layers.  If Tolkien gives such a being hands, allows him to laugh and smile, have fear and doubt (all in "canon") well, those are distinctly human characteristics and there are consequences of that.

 

In a remote time and place, he had been safe and loved, but that security had been shattered into fragments. He had witnessed the horrific deaths of those he had loved and who had loved him in turn, but he had survived because of an innate talent, one that the Valar had noticed, they who had been indirectly responsible for breaking his life into shards. The Guardians had taken him –- young, confused and reeling from his loss –- into their fosterage and made him into what he was.

 

Okay, you've got my ears up with this paragraph - Who were these beings who young Mairon had loved and who had loved him?  It's hard to imagine Melkor loving anyone other than himself.  And the Valar were indirectly responsible for the destruction?  Were Mairon's parents Maiar of Melkor?  I remember that in earlier versions of the Silm; JRRT had the idea that various Valar had offspring, can't remember if the Maiar did too (and I don't have that HoME volume). 

I loved the flashbacks back to the War of Wrath and wish you would write a story concentrating on the final battle.  Earendil piloting a starship destroyer is a Neat Bit (and parallels an idea of my own, at least about the Valar setting Earendil up in a starship rather than floating a sailing ship into space...And Varda lobs an asteroid into Middle-earth?  Or was it a big meteor!  That's a great explanation for the destruction of Beleriand.

And poor Mairon actually thinks that pretending he's sorry and promising to make it up to the mortals of Middle-earth by mentoring them in science is going to excuse him?  He really is deluded; I almost feel sorry for him.  Actually, he's lucky that Eonwe didn't kill him on the spot or have Tulkas do it. 

Is that malignancy in the center of Mairon's fragmented mind his own more vicious personality, or an actual link to Melkor; or is it that Mairon does not truly know?

A fun, fascinating story all the way through.  I liked the ending, with Mairon optimistic that he'll bring a new order to the chaos of Middle-earth for the benefit of everyone.  Sounds very familiar; and sad.

 

Thanks so much, Raksha! I am glad you enjoyed this.

"Okay, you've got my ears up with this paragraph - Who were these beings who young Mairon had loved and who had loved him? "

Ha!  Well, I am going to be my usual tease and just say you'll have to wait for an explanation of that and even then, it will be carefully phrased. But more will be revealed in a later chapter of The Elendilmir.  "Were Mairon's parents Maiar of Melkor?" -- No.  

"I remember that in earlier versions of the Silm; JRRT had the idea that various Valar had offspring, can't remember if the Maiar did too (and I don't have that HoME volume)."

Yep, Manwë and Varda had a son and daughter and Gothmog was the son of Morgoth and Ulbandi "the ogress" at the time that at least some of the Maiar were considered the "children of the Valar" and the Valar were more akin to the Norse or even Graeco-Roman pantheon in the Book of Lost Tales 1 (and BoLT 2 as well?). Also in BoLT1, the minstrel with an amusing name -- Tinfang Warble -- had a Maiarin parent.  At any rate, those instances aside, I consider Tolkien's writings as mythology as opposed to canon, and I believe there is a distinction.  So in the context of mythology, what are the Ainur really? Lots of room for interpretation there if one considers this as myth.  Maybe they are divine "angelic" spirits.  But in BoLT, they seem to be something else.  In "The Notion Club Papers", something else yet again.  I'm running with the Ainur-like beings of the scientifictitious "Notion Club Papers" combined with those in BoLT.

"I loved the flashbacks back to the War of Wrath and wish you would write a story concentrating on the final battle."

Thanks so much, but I'm pretty leery of writing a full final battle scene.  I strive to portray the scientifictitious aspects in "poetic language"  Hence a "destroyer of worlds" could be interpreted as any number of craft -- the science fiction aficionados might call it a starship ;^); others might see it as more prosaic.  it's all too easy to handle scientific concepts in Tolkien's world in a ham-handed fashion.  I am sure I have been guilty of that at times or have copped out and waved the wizard's wand by saying the "photosynthesis" and "neurotransmitters" are exotic Valarin words. :^D  I'm not the first one to envision Eärendil's ship as something rather "otherworldly."  See Magweth Pendolodh: The Question of Pengolodh, Chapter 9, The Tomb of Elros by Tyellas.  About 2/3 of the way through the chapter, she has written a fabulous description of such an otherworldly craft.  Similarly, I recall someone on an old newslist group years ago suggesting an asteroid as something that might have hit Beleriand.  So I'm not too original there either.

"...have Tulkas do it."

Ha!  No kidding.  Tolkien wrote that Tulkas represented violence in its "good form."  Huh!?  

"Is that malignancy in the center of Mairon's fragmented mind his own more vicious personality, or an actual link to Melkor; or is it that Mairon does not truly know?" 

I tend to think the fragmentation was due to Morgoth; Morgoth spread himself into the stuff and peoples of Middle-earth. I think it follows he may have done the same with his chief lieutenant.  So Sauron's own predilections made him suspeptible to Melkor and allowed the latter to take firm root in his mind.  From "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," 

"(Sauron) fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth bad laid upon him were very strong." 

So that malignancy is his destructive "Gorthaur" aspect and derived from his servitude and alliance with Morgoth.  That's my interpretation.

"I liked the ending, with Mairon optimistic that he'll bring a new order to the chaos of Middle-earth for the benefit of everyone.  Sounds very familiar; and sad."

I don't think Mairon is entirely insincere, again basing this on a few bits that JRRT wrote in his letters and also in The Silm.  However, one of the Dark Muse's favorite quotations is "Half of the results of a good intention are evil; half the results of an evil intention are good" which if the DM were being honest would properly attribute to Mark Twain. :^)

Thanks again! 

 

 

 

 

I thought this story was absolutely masterful, beginning with the title that conjures so many images already, down to the beginning in the ending, if you would... there are so many awesome things about it that it's hard to know what to say! Besides what everyone else has highlighted, I really appreciated the primeval atmosphere that permeates the whole, as well as all the intimate glimpses into Mairon and how he relates to the world. Thanks for such a great story!

Thank you so much for reading and for the very kind words, Fireworks!  I'm glad that the primeval "feel" came across clearly to you for i was striving to convey this.  I have to admit that Mairon's travels in the East have spawned the dust motes of plot bunnies! 

When I entered the wild and woolly world of fan fic (with an agenda, I might add), i wanted to write about the "fallen" technologists. Fëanor has been written beautifully by a number of folks.  Maeglin and Eöl, too.  I found I could not get into Saruman's head (just yet anyway -- i do look at him as an interesting challenge and do give him a nod in "Unweaving the Rainbow").  I checked out a number of different stories about another infamous fallen technologist -- Sauron -- and came to realize my vision was of the Dark Lord was a bit different.  So I ran with it. :^)

Thanks again! 

Given that The Silmarillion constitutes a mythic view from 30,000 feet, yes, the details are absent.  So one speculates in one's tertiary world of Tolkien's secondary world.  Certain actions of the Valar indicate a less than benign intent or at best, a detachment that results in misery for many.  So Mairon may be partially justified in his fear.

I suspect the Valar are just Lovecraft's Great Old Ones in disguise. ;^)

Re-posting my MEFA review for this, because apparently I never commented here. I also hit "final" before I was finished and since I had already given you the full complement of points, wanted to let you know that I didn't bother to go to the MEFA admin and beg them to let me edit my review. The part I left off was how much I loved the early backstory for Sauron and also adores the encounter and discussion with Eonwe and his ruminations thereon and final decision. Anyway, for what it's worth. Here it for the record.

You know I love it when you get all scientifictitious in your interpretation of Arda and its peoples. Layers upon layers of delicious details in this one make it a riveting read. I think it was Angelica in an earlier review of this story who pointed to the fabulous paleontological and anthropological details in this one. I agree with your interpretation of the existence of discernable differences between the different ethnologies among the elven peoples also.

You have some very appealing (to me at least!) observations from the POV character here that I cannot resist quoting:

[Common sense told him that he ought to skirt the kill, but intense curiosity drove him forward, drawn by indignant roars and unearthly cackles. With a soft nudge of his heels, he urged his raw-boned mount through the rippling tawny-green waves of the steppe, approaching the spot marked by the spiral of carrion birds wheeling in the sky.]

If I didn't already know who you were writing about, or how you interpret his complex character, this would be a very deft way of both introducing the protagonist and setting the scene here. I love it.

You give me a big clue as to who is the actor here with the introduction of his extraordinary capabilities in the next paragraph. [He stroked the beast’s muzzle, reaching into the blur of equine sentience to assure her that he would return, and she must stay put.]

Followed this almost immediately with a very complex image.

[Approaching the site from downwind, he picked his way through the grass, crept along on his hands and knees, and once within scent of the kill, he inched forward on his belly.]

You were on fire last August, weren't you? What a collection of fabulous stories. Although I do remember reading parts of this piece much earlier. I highly recommend this as a terrific read. It is satisfying on more levels than I am articulate enough (in the sweltering heat of a New York City summer) to describe sufficiently right now.

Thanks muchly, Huinare!  I enjoyed writing the story.  Adding the Pleistocene mammals was irresistible for me, and also gives a bit of a nod to Tolkien himself, who was interested in paleontology.  Re:  the huge meteor.  This is another irresistible element: the Valar of the Pandë!verse have this thing for manipulating the natural elements of Ambar (the Earth) to effect some nasty consequences, e.g., Varda's weapon, a mega-volcanic explosion that sinks Númenor and wreaks havoc on the west coast of Middle-earth.

Wow.  The description of the War of Wrath is fantastic.  You enticed me with a brief description, but I was blown away in reading this entire piece.  I have so many things that I want to say, but I wanted to at least leave you a note letting you know how much I enjoyed it!  Thank you for sharing this, Pande!  Truly enjoyable and inspirational!!!  (Please note the gratuitous use of exclamation marks if you don't believe me!!)

This is such an amazing story in every way. The prose itself is, well, epic--that description of the War of Wrath, and the destruction of Beleriand, and Mairon fleeing, *phew* Every description is poetic but not lacking in substance, as it serves to draw some incredibly vivid imagery of the tumults of that time. 

And there is just so much happening here, too, plot-wise. I also love the allusions to megafauna and pre-historic societal structures... I won't embarass myself by trying to go into detail, but for me it seems like you have bridged what we know "in real life" about ancient cultures with Tolkien's legendarium. And that is awesome :D 

Mairon executing the beginnings of his masterplan to gain control of the East is perfectly executed, too. And I love how it begins on such a rudimentary level, as "simple" as proving himself to a group of hunters as someone worth following & learning from. 

Perhaps this was a goddess-worshiping society whose men likely yearned for the virile dominance of a father-god, and he knew just who that god would be.

Yow! That hits close to home...

Giggled a bit at Mairon's distate re: fermented milk. I thought perhaps it was something like yogurt or kefir, but you made me curious and then I stumbled upon kumis and started reading about the life & times of ancient hunter-gatherers. Darn you, making me learn about interesting new things! (I joke, obviously, any fanfiction that makes me want to delve more into a given academic topic is the best kind of fanfiction. :D)

This is rightfully a fandom classic. 

My apologies for the belated response, klose, but my appreciation of your lovely comments is just as immediate and squeeful now as when I first read it last month. :^)  It's always such a treat to read a review of one of my "old" fics.  Glad you liked Mairon's memories of the War of Wrath and the "scientificitious" allusions to Eärendil's ship, Melkor's response, and what ultimately destroyed Beleriand (not to mention Mairon's recollections of a far earlier period in his long life, which spawned another WIP, Light Over the Moutain).

Interweaving real-life science and cultures to Tolkien's legendarium is one of my favorite indulgences, and I really went for it in this story with the megafauna and the (proto-Mongolian?) hunters.  And kumis!  Yes!  That's exactly what I had in mind!

then I stumbled upon kumis and started reading about the life & times of ancient hunter-gatherers. Darn you, making me learn about interesting new things! (I joke, obviously, any fanfiction that makes me want to delve more into a given academic topic is the best kind of fanfiction. :D)

Heh.  And I spent some time researching the topic myself when I was writing this, although not nearly as much as I would have liked.  I'd love to visit the East of the legendarium more often, probably through Alatar and Pallando who (in the Pandë!verse) wander through the Middle-earth equivalents of Persia/India and China/Japan/Korea/Thailand, respectively.  Somewhere (maybe in HoMe), Tolkien said something to the effect that his story was Northern and had no interest in the mythologies of the East, which, to me, dismisses much of our Primary World's greatest folklore and mythologies.

Thanks again!

Oh, your story is wonderful, just wonderful and hauntingly beautiful. Mairon actually had good intentions! and it was Eonwe's darkness that scared him away D':. The valar and their maiar aren't saints at all. Thank you for writing this lovely story and giving us insight into Mairon's thoughts. I wonder why Mairon joined Melkor in the first place.

Thanks so much, Yuhamara, for the wonderful review!  Yes, he has good intentions, or at least, from *his* point of view, they're good.  No one is a saint in the Pandë!verse. :^)

"I wonder why Mairon joined Melkor in the first place."

Good question.  Quite a few fan fic writers have addressed this, and at some point, I hope to address the same in the context of the Pandë!verse.  It may very well take some Real Life™ inspiration from what happened to my graduate advisor and his first post-doctoral mentor. :^D

Thanks again!