Fell Meats by pandemonium_213

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Fanwork Notes

First and foremost, many thanks to Randy O, Surgical Steel, Spiced Wine, Oshun, Scarlet, Ignoble Bard, Kenaz, Lilith, and Russandol for your feedback that encouraged me and helped polish the drafts.  Thank you in particular to Jael for allowing me to poach borrow her Eryn Galen canon in which a significant item of export from the Woodland Kingdom is spider silk.   There's more canon-poaching from others to come, and I will note that in the end notes for the relevant chapter.

 

The setting for the story is the Halls of Mandos, likely corresponding during to the Fourth Age in Middle-earth, but due to time dilation in Aman, who knows?  Within the context of the Pandë!verse, this takes place not long after  what will be the conclusion of The Prisoner and the Hobbit, written by Dreamflower and myself. 

 

By way of background, in the Pandë!verse, Sauron, contrary to Gandalf's prediction, does not become "a mere spirit of malice that gnaws itself in the shadows, but cannot again grow or take shape" after the Ring is destroyed (cf. The Return of the King).  Instead, his spirit is captured in a mithril ring that he designed as a failsafe should the Ring technology fail when he first forged the Ring, or if it were destroyed (a very remote possibility or so he concluded).  Think of this ring as a data back-up (hat-tip to Randy O for the reference).   The bearer of the mithril ring that "contains" Sauron hands it off to Gandalf, who then ferries the ring to Aman, where the Valar pass judgment on Sauron.  Much to his surprise and relief, Sauron is not tossed into the Void but is re-embodied and imprisoned in the Halls of Mandos.  One of his first visitors is the magnanimous and very inquisitive Finrod.  Much of this is addressed in The Prisoner and the Hobbit.

 

With no further adieu, Sauron tells his tale...

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Sauron recounts his discovery of the fell beasts to Finrod, who visits the former Dark Lord during his imprisonment in the Halls of Mandos, in a tale of adventure and a bit of the macabre.

Pandë!verse-centric.  A little gory, some coarse language, mild sexual references.

Chapter 2 added:  Over tankards of ale, served in the replica of a familiar inn, Sauron continues his tale to Finrod:  his instructions to the Lord of the Nazgûl (who receives a disagreeable task); his uncertainties concerning the wisdom of leaving Mordor; and his journey to Layla’s homeland, where the Forbidden Valley lies.

Major Characters: Sauron

Major Relationships:

Genre: Adventure

Challenges:

Rating: Adult

Warnings: Expletive Language, Sexual Content (Mild), Violence (Mild)
Chapters: 2 Word Count: 9, 079
Posted on 28 November 2013 Updated on 8 December 2013

This fanwork is a work in progress.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Layla
Chapter 2: The Journey East

Thanks muchly to Drummerwench, Elfscribe, Ignoble Bard, Oshun, Randy O, Russandol, Scarlet, and Spiced Wine for comments and feedback on the draft version of this chapter.  Please see End Notes for another important acknowledgment.

Comments

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Sauron is still so very much in command of himself, prisoner or no, isn't he? It is one of the reasons I cannot help liking him. He refuses to give up, mentally or, as we see, physically. Very interesting that his ring finger can never seem to 'heal'.

The beauty of my host's eyes, regrettably as ephemeral as his mortal life, also degraded, and and so I was compelled to revert to those with which I had been born. Yes, "born," Finrod. Just as you were. But that is another tale, and a long one at that. For now, I will simply tell you that in the lost life of my youth, my eyes would have been considered normal, perhaps even beautiful, among my own kind, but here, flame-yellow eyes with elongated pupils do not sit well in an otherwise human face. You, of all people, are familiar with those eyes, although, to your credit, you never looked away from me until I sang those final verses.

I imagine Sauron in his 'lost youth' would have appeared very beautiful. Those eyes might not match with a human face, but still, I would find them both terrifying and fascinating.

However, it is you, my dear fellow, who continue to surprise me. Visiting me time and time again, even though it was I who tossed you and your companions to the wolves to be devoured, one by one! You prove to be as charitable as they say. But mind! You and Beren were trespassing! And don't blame me for Orodreth's cowardice!

From Sauron's words and tone, I don't think for a minute that Finrod came there to gloat; and Finrod does not seem to be the kind of person who would. Is he simply a little fascinated?

Faellos did not understand what I meant when I told him he might live forever, but I was grateful to find a new home in his flesh.

Ah, so thus, the Necromancer!

To take my mind off my anguish, I reviewed the latest reports and inventories from Mordor, compiling and cross-referencing all the data provided, a pleasant exercise in order. Ah, ha! Here was a discrepancy in the tonnage of mineral salts sent from the flats by the Sea of Núrnen. Likely the chiefs of the supply trains were skimming again. Well, I would see to that.

Your Sauron is obviously the kind of person who, while he obviously delegates, likes to know the ins-and-outs from the bottom up - which is really the mark of an exceptional ruler, since I doubt many in fact do become that involved. It becomes, I imagine, for any leader, too much, and so they look at the bigger picture and allow others to handle more mundane but equally important matters. Maybe Sauron is only trying to take his mind off things, but he can still focus that mind acutely.

I found myself smiling with nostalgia at the memory of a glass of wine shared long ago with her husband, who was far more pleasant company. That was shortly after I had arrived in Ost-in-Edhil, when Celeborn and I were collegial, even friendly, before Galadriel stepped between us, and our opinions and designs became irreconcilable. That surprises you? I swear, so many of you underestimate Celeborn and you all assume that I was evil to the core. Well, fair enough. I came very close to that, but yes, Celeborn and I got on splendidly for a time. We often went fishing together. Oh, stop laughing! Our fishing expeditions were very enjoyable, at least until Celeborn and I became estranged.

I am amused that Finrod is amused. However, your Sauron in that incarnation is quite a fellow, charismatic, I think apart from brilliant, and I am somehow not surprised at his 'time-out' with Celeborn.

Introducing One Thousand and One Nights, and the Lost World, is a brilliant stroke, as although those are legends, they weave this story more closely into 'our' world, and since Tolkien wanted it to be, this feels completely right to me.

Well done, Pandë :) I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Thank you so very much for the expansive review, Spiced!  This story has been a long time coming (drafts have lingered on my hard drive for, uh, a few years now) so it's fun to bring it out into the open (and it has been fun to write).  

Heh.  Yes, my take on Finrod is that, although he is generous (he'd have to be to be able to strike up a conversation with his ancient enemy and a personal enemy at that), he's very inquisitive.  The latter characteristic seems in-character based on how Tolkien depicted him.

Yes!  My version of Sauron, although he delegates, is also such a control-freak that he cannot help but micromanage. That will get him into trouble eventually.  I always thought this passage from Unifinished Tales (Part Four, Chapter III) was telling:

"It must also be considered that the Stones were only a small item in Sauron's vast designs and operations: a means of dominating and deluding two of his opponents, but he would not (and could not) have the Ithil-stone under perpetual observation. It was not his way to commit such instruments to the use of subordinates..."

Although this didn't really hit me when I first read it back in ~ 1980-81, after years in the corporate world and watching senior executives not completely trust their subordinates...well, it rings true now.  

I expect Finrod finds the idea of Sauron and his brother-in-law going out fishing ("bro!tastic" as Kenaz put it) to be totally absurd (as might some readers ;^)).

Thanks again, Spiced!  

You know I've been looking forward to this story ever since you mentioned it being in the works, and you more than delivered. Sauron is fascinating as per usual, his troubles with necromancy were quite... gruesome, but refreshing to read - it's always more interesting if things don't go quite so smoothly - and I particularly loved the usage of 1001 Nights to introduce the Fell Beasts.

Well-written, well-crafted, and a delightful read. Somehow I don't think holding my breath until the next installment will let me see it (regardless of how long the update takes), but I will be waiting (im)patiently! ;)

Thanks so much, Elleth!  As you're well aware, "magic" in the Pandë!verse isn't easy, and there's always a price to pay.  Sauron's not-perfect body is a prime example.   

This fic has been brewing for a good long time (in fact, there are old drafts from 2008 still on the old LC site), but for whatever reason, the DM has been prompted to revisit it.  Very glad to know that you think it is well-crafted!  I introduced a different kind of device, i.e., Finrod in the background as the recipient of Sauron's tale, inspired by Mohsin Hamid's approach in The Reluctant Fundamentalist (an excellent, thought-provoking novel).  This does allow Sauron to ramble a bit (his asides, tangents, etc.) but that strikes me as how people naturally converse or narrate in an oral fashion.

The next installment is not far away, not at all!  In fact, I'll probably post it within the week.

Thanks again! :^)

You already know I really enjoyed this. I always find your Sauron so engaging and believeable. (I am still chuckling about a remark you made to someone recently relating to the fact that if people believe your Melamire is a self-insert they are basically barking up the wrong tree!)

I particularly like the between-in-lines characterization of Finrod also. Not so easy to do, but beautifully executed. A very curious guy. Obsessed with learning about things that are easy for him to understand.

Looking forward to more. Hopefully, I will not have to wait as long as I had to wait for this one to see the light of day (ha! this is rich coming from a person who has seven-year-old WIPs!).

Heh.  Yes, I exorcise (or maybe I should say exercise) a lot of demons through my self-indulgence of first-person Sauron! :^D

Thanks so much for the assessment of how between-the-lines Finrod.  My take on him from reading the source texts is that he was deeply interested in learning of other peoples and the Wide World and was almost impulsively curious.

You know, there are drafts of this from 2008 (I believe) on the old LC.  Zounds!  But I'd like to think that the device of Finrod as the recipient of the tale helps jazz this up a little.  Also let's Sauron ramble and take off on tangents, but I think that's often how a highly intelligent individual whose thoughts are running a mile a minute, so to speak, would narrate.

You won't need to wait long at all.  (Hint, hint!)

Thanks a million!

I see you're drawing this out - and I'm enjoying every minute of it. Of course the Fell Beasts are a huge draw for me, but there's so much utterly delectable worldbuilding, and Sauron's characterization is so charismatic and endearingly nasty that I'd happily gobble up another handful of chapters in the same vein. Very well done!

Sorry I am late reviewing Pandë; I missed this going up. I should get a notification, now.

However, I assured myself, this could not be, for my agents had slain the last of the line of Isildur. Hence, for some years, I dismissed these dreams as phantoms of suppressed memory, for many laughing children with bright eyes met their end because of me. Nonetheless, the remote possibility that Isildur's heir might yet live gnawed at me.

He dismissed this, but only for some years? Do we learn what revived his unease, or was it always there at the back of his mind?

I like the way, as I have mentioned before, that he wants to see everything in order before he undertakes this journey.

Ah, yes, forgive me! You are not yet familiar with Latin. You would know this disturbing oddment of anatomy as quimellë carcanëa. Oh! I am sorry! That is a bit much, isn't it? Believe me, I recoiled much more vigorously than you! Please relax and uncross your legs, and I shall continue with my story.

I can definitely buy Thuringwethil with vagina dentata, and 'I recoiled much more vigorously than you!'! I bet!

Before the new moon, we arrived in the city with its sand-colored walls and thick-walled houses, its air redolent of burning meat on marketplace braziers, the stink of camels, the many odors of human sweat, and the perfume of climbing roses and zambak flowers. In the heart of the city stood my temple with its golden onion-shaped dome and filigreed stonework that graced its walls.

I can envisage this very clearly, and even smell it. Wonderful bit of description to put us into a place we are not familiar with from the books!

I knew that someone’s pampered but shrewish mother-by-marriage would meet my knife the next day, her blood drained into a jar for my consumption.

Sauron knows people very well! Well, he could hardly have been an Overlord of many nations had he not. I do enjoy this journey into his past, and seeing him as a person, even if a genuinely alarming one.

What's that you say? A dinner engagement with Olórin at the inn? Why, yes, we can continue tomorrow. It would be my pleasure. Please give my regards to the old fool and do not let the voices of the fëar haunt your dreams this evening. They can be a noisy lot when they get to yammering.

And so urbane!

(Terribly sorry to be getting here so late.)  This is an intriguing tale, hilarious and creepy and endearing by turns.  Saur...Mai...whatever-he-wants-us-to-call-him-here's struggle with his body is a painful, revolting, and even piteous thing to envision.  Who wouldn't want to be reunited with the Ring and its power under those circumstances especially?

I am never going to be over Angmar having to take care of kittens.  

I wanted to single out this bit from Ch. 1 for specific squeeing: “Nonetheless, I was driven to seek corporeal form, addicted to the incarnate as are all my kindred.”
That's such a great way of putting it.

OMG.  You're not late at all compared with my extremely tardy reply!  Many thanks for the review!  "Hilarious and creepy and endearing by turns."  YES!!! Just what I hoped to achieve!  Hope to get back to the story in 2015.  I have the next chapter in draft, just waiting for revisions.  Then a fourth chapter and maybe an epilog?  Zounds!  I might actually finish a story!

Thanks again, your Huinishness!

Thanks so much!  I had written the drafts of these chapters (and one more still lingering on iAngband) quite some time ago, but I decided to revise after I read Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist (excellent novel, btw) that used this approach of the narrator telling the story to another in his presence.  As a result, the narrator (Sauron in this case) spins the story in a more meandering way, almost in a stream-of-consciousness style.  This has posed some challenges when revising, and I'm not always getting it right, but it's fun.  First-person Sauron is one of my guilty pleasures - I exorcise a lot of demons through his voice. :^D