Tales from Tol Eressëa: Conversations in Avallónë - Part 1

[Mithadan]

It has now been nearly two years since I posted the first resurrected fan fiction in this forum. I hoped to re-post stories from our old fan fiction forums with greater frequency. I thought that folks hunkering down due to the pandemic might appreciate some topical reading material. Unfortunately, real life did not give up its demands on my time, notwithstanding the interruptions of COVID, and I retrieved fewer stories than I intended.

I re-posted Tales from Tol Eressëa, my own first fan fiction, here: http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=19362, likely about 20 years after it was first unveiled here on the Downs. I do not recall the source of my inspiration, if any, but my first goal was to pick subjects from Tolkien's mythos that were either sketched out in brief or only mentioned in passing and to fill in the blanks and expand upon what JRRT did not set out in full. This is not surprising, considering my own relationship with Middle Earth. I have spent many years bemoaning Tolkien's failure to publish more and devouring HoME to satisfy my desire for more details about Middle Earth, large or small. So eventually I set out on my own to fulfill my desire. As a result, my second goal was to be as faithful to Tolkien as I could be, both is style and in detail.

The sequel to Tales from Tol Eressëa was the three part series, Conversations in Avallónë. Part 1 of this series has been added to the Tales from Tol Eressëa thread. For those of you who are fans of The Nature of Middle Earth ("NoME"), and consider it in any way to be "canon," Tales from Tol Eressëa departs from some (or many) of the details found in NoME. But keep in mind that my stories predate NoME by some 20 years (even though I had read Osanwe-kenta by the time I wrote my Tales).

At any rate, I hope that you enjoy Conversations in Avallónë, Part 1. I will follow it up with its two sequels soon, as well as with other works retrieved from our archives.

[James the Just]

There are some who believe that the Lonely Island is actually Newfoundland and that Avallónë was where Saint John's is now; on the Avalon Peninsula. The first thing a visitor might see is Signal Hill.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal...acing_side.jpg

[Mithadan]

This is the third installment of a series which began with Tales From Tol Eressëa and continued with Conversations in Avallónë. The installments should be read in order to appreciate the progression of the events related. The intent of this series is to fill in blanks left by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion. Thus, these writings are wholly speculative and, though support exists for some aspects of these stories, they are written only for your enjoyment and cannot be considered as established or “canonical” parts of the history of Middle Earth. This installment in particular explores the concept that any history is written by the “winners” though other interpretations or points of view may exist.

[Mithadan]

This is the final installment of Tales From Tol Eressëa, Conversations in Avallónë, entitled A Midsummer’s Morn.

Please feel free to comment in this thread and I hope that you enjoy it.

[Huinesoron]

Finally taking the time to read these in full. Bilbo's last words are amazingly good (though I fear he's been spending a bit too long with Finrod, if he's caught the "the world will be renewed and we will meet again" bug). And, as I said back in 2020 - "I had to wait for her to leave first" is the perfect bittersweet ending.

Moving onto part 2, I like Celebrian's subtle nod to her years of raising the heirs of Isildur. I also really enjoy the wander across Eressea - it's very Tolkienesque to devote so many paragraphs to just a walk. And the fact that Cirdan could have recognised Sauron is a great connection that had never occured to me.

And then of course OH HECK IT'S HIM. The contrast you've made with Maglor as the Only Angry Elf in Eressea is gripping. I also enjoy (maybe not the right word?) the fact that he's so insistent on blaming everything on somebody, anybody - which is, fundamentally, why he hasn't been forgiven. How can he, when It's All Morgoth's Fault - or Caranthir's, or the Teleri, or whoever else is convenient.

But then the twist of "Randir", and we get a different view on things: perhaps what Maglor needs is to forgive himself, by accepting his own actions, for good and ill. I really like the plausible story you've constructed here, and the way you've set Maglor on his road to redemption - but without pushing him all the way through what must be a very long process.

-- and now I've reached the end, and seen exactly who the late arrivals are, and all I can say is I love it.

hS