Radiance by elennalore

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Fanwork Notes

Written for Gnome Tome challenge, using the prompt: 'any one of the Valar might have taken the paths of Melkor and become like him: one was enough''

This is an alternate universe version of the destruction of the Two Lamps.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

What if Varda was the fallen Vala instead of Melkor?

 

Major Characters: Manwë, Melkor, Sauron, Varda

Major Relationships:

Genre: Alternate Universe, Ficlet

Challenges: Gnome Tome

Rating: General

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 669
Posted on 1 November 2021 Updated on 1 November 2021

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Table of Contents

Radiance

Comments on Radiance

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elennalore has requested the following types of constructive criticism on this fanwork: Characterization, Conflict, Description/Imagery, Plot, Setting, Worldbuilding. All constructive criticism must follow our diplomacy guidelines.

Oh! This switch is so vividly plausible. The power of light containing such force to corrupt Varda—she'd become a black hole eventually I guess, devouring the whole of Eä. A beautiful, and formidable, and extremely powerful adversary. And Mairon and Melkor and Manwë all working together just feels so good!

(And as I read this, I laughed at the amazing serendipity that the illustration I made today could have been an illustration for your fic! I had a different prompt ("The Valar cannot undo history without undoing Ea"), but it was Varda who told me she felt like messing around with light and time and space: https://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/node/5098. If you'd like it, I'd like to gift it to you for this.)

Thank you! Good thing you liked Manwë, Melkor and Mairon co-operating! And I agree - your amazing art piece could well have been illustration for this ficlet! I’m still amazed by the coincidence of choosing Varda for both of our prompts. But she’s such a powerful being. You’re too kind, but I wouldn’t say no to a gift :)

The idea that Varda wants only her stars to be giving off light is quite brilliant (literally I guess....). So many interesting possible pathways could come from this. She wants to be in control. 

I thought Mairon noticing Melkor's pain very poignant, as was the brothers Manwë and Melkor working together. 

The soundtrack in my head for Varda destroying the lamps is the Queen of the Night's aria "Der Hölle Rache" in the Mozart opera The Magic Flute of course. 

The song that jumped in at the end of your story however was The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun".