Hearken Still Unsated by polutropos

Preface

I have tried to keep this Preface brief and useful, but feel free to skip or come back at the end. It is not necessary for understanding the fic, but is meant to enrich the reading experience and explain some of the thinking behind it.

 Art 

The original art for this fic was unfortunately not completed (I can't post it, but it's slide #103 for TRSB participants). The final piece would have depicted Maglor standing beside a golden concert harp in a large hall with a large arched entrance, with Daeron facing him, his back to the viewer. The last scene of Chapter 3 is directly inspired by this art. There would also have been portraits of both of them on either side. Prompts included Daeron/Maglor ("bonus points for making it a threesome with their shared lover (=music)"), "passionate takes (be it hate, love, rapture, angst…)", complicated relationships, and Doriath's magical court.

I owe a tremendous thanks to Melesta for first surprising me with illustrations and then formally becoming this fic's 'art pinch-hitter'. See the illustrations here.

  Names and Language  

Sindarin place and people names are used when in Daeron's POV and Quenya, at least initially, when in Maglor's. Exceptions and changes to this are probably intentional.

I had neither the energy nor the skill to conlang Iathrin cognates for Daeron and the other people of Doriath to use, so they use common Sindarin.

All Elvish names and words that do not appear in the The Silmarillion are footnoted the first time they appear in the text. The exception is Quenya names for the Finwëans, of which the following are used in this fic:

Ambarussa - Amrod and/or Amras
Curufinwë - Curufin
Maitimo - Maedhros
Macalaurë - Maglor
Ñolofinwë - Fingolfin
Fëanáro - Fëanor
Findaráto - Finrod
Findekáno - Fingon
Tyelkormo - Celegorm

 Canon Background and Timelines 

This fic is canon-compatible and assumes pretty in-depth knowledge of certain canon events, timelines, and characters. I am aware not everyone has this knowledge ready to engage at all times. I think the fic can be enjoyed without, but for those interested, it might be helpful to recall a few things.

For Chapter 1, those less familiar with the history of the Sindar may want to remember the particulars of the First Battle of Beleriand. I have layered a lot of my own headcanons onto this period of the history of Beleriand and its people but it is all built up from canon.

The following dates, or at least the sequence of events, are relevant (based on the Grey Annals in War of the Jewels):

YT 1497. First Battle of Beleriand. The Fëanorians arrive in Beleriand. Battle Under Stars. Death of Fëanor. Capture of Maedhros.
FA 2. Host of Fingolfin settles on the northern shore of Mithrim. The Fëanorians remove to the southern shore. Morgoth releases dark, poisonous vapours from Angband.
FA 5. Maedhros rescued. Fingolfin becomes High King of the Noldor.
FA 6. Angrod is the first of the Exiles to come to Doriath.
FA 7. Council of the Noldorin princes held at Mithrim. Fëanorians remove to eastern Beleriand.
FA 20. Mereth Aderthad hosted by Fingolfin at the Pools of Ivrin.
FA 60. Dagor Aglareb, Morgoth’s forces pushed back by the Noldor.
FA 66. Thingol learns of the Silmarils and the death of Finwë via Melian via Galadriel.
FA 67. Thingol learns of the first kinslaying, the doom of Mandos, and the burning of the ships at Losgar. Ban on Quenya being “openly spoken” in Beleriand; command issued to Sindar not to speak or answer to it.

  Big Questions      

I thought a lot about Elvish beliefs and worldviews while writing this. Many thoughts were inspired by Tolkien's own writings on the nature of his world and its inhabitants (most of it in Morgoth's Ring and The Nature of Middle-earth), others just bubbled up from fandom discourse. Some questions I kept on rotation in my brain:

Did the Valar make a mistake bringing the Elves to Valinor from Cuiviénen?

What's the 'correct' relationship between the Ainur and the Elves? What is up with Melian? Why did she stay? Was it a good thing?

Is the Music of the Ainur 'fate' for the Elves? (No.) If not, what is it? How do the Elves (at least two of them) relate to the Music? What is up with the linguistic relationship between the words for 'doom/fate' and 'World/habitation' in Elvish (see footnotes to chapter 1)? What does it mean to say the Elves are bound to Arda? Where is home for the Elves?

I thought about these questions, the characters think about these questions - the fic does not answer them.