Athrabeth na Dorthonion

[Findaráto]

Varnafindë suggested this idea to me via PM, and I have to applaud her for a brilliant idea. The Noldor Quartet (or just the Quartet, as we've come to call them) is a series of RP's unlike any that I've been aware of during my time at MT. Not only are they more closely related to canon than any other RP I've ever been in, they also have a consistent cast throughout the four. For instance, if one person plays Galadriel in one RP of the Quartet, that person plays Galadriel in all four. Participation in any one means that you have a part in all four.

This, of course, can get terribly confusing, especially when the timelines come very close to overlapping. The purpose of this thread is to streamline and serve as a resource for the Quartet.
The four RP's in the Quartet are as follows (in roughly chronological order):

Spirit of Fire - (beginning circa 1182) - This is Fëanáro's story. The RP follows him from the time of the Doom of Mandos to the time this story intersects with "Flight of the Noldor."

CAST OF CHARACTERS

FËANÁRO - Findaráto
NERDANEL - Inc'
FINWË - Eluchil
INDIS - Varnafindë
NOLOFINWË - Varnafindë
ARAFINWË - Eluchil
NELYAFINWË MAITIMO - Findaráto
KANAFINWË MAKALAURË - Lillianna
KURUFINWË ATARINKË - Findaráto
TURKAFINWË TYELKORMO - Varnafindë
MAHTAN - Varnafindë

Blood Brothers - (beginning circa 1310) - This is the story of the friendship between Maitimo and Findekáno. It begins with their meeting, will continue through as their friendship is strained by the lies of Melkor, and will end around the time of Findekáno's death in Middle-earth.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

FINDEKÁNO - Lillianna
MAITIMO - Findaráto
MAKALAURË - Lillianna
FËANÁRO - Findaráto
NOLOFINWË - Varnafindë
TURUKÁNO - Findaráto
ANAIRË - Findaráto

A Memory Fair but Unfinished - (beginning circa 1405) - This is the story of Findaráto and Amárië. This RP is my favorite so far, as it goes into great detail and puts into action a lot of the ideas put forth in "Laws and Customs among the Eldar," especially concerning betrothal and marriage. That, and it's just a really good read. [] This RP will continue to Middle-earth and will continue until Finrod's death circa First Age 466. Or maybe it will go further...we shall see...

CAST OF CHARACTERS

FINDARÁTO - Eluchil
AMÁRIË - Findaráto
ARTANIS - Varnafindë
ANGARÁTO - Inc'
ARAFINWË - Eluchil
NOLOFINWË - Varnafindë
ELDALOTË - Findaráto
EARWEN - Findaráto
ANAIRË - Findaráto
ANDRETH - Findaráto
FËANÁRO - Findaráto
FINDEKÁNO - Lilliana
MAITIMO - Findaráto
KURUFINWË ATARINKË- Findaráto
TURKAFINWË TYELKORMO - Varnafindë

The Flight of the Noldor - (beginning circa 1486) - This is the story that takes place, more or less, in The Silmarillion. The fall of the Noldor, the Darkening of Valinor, their flight to Middle-earth. This RP has been started, but I think that doing so is a mistake, and it should be put-off until the characters from the others are better developed.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

FËANÁRO - Findaráto
NOLOFINWË- Varnafindë
FINWË - Eluchil
NERDANEL - Inc'
ARAFINWË - Eluchil
INDIS - Varnafindë
FINDARÁTO - Eluchil
AMÁRIË - Findaráto
NELYAFINWË MAITIMO - Findaráto
KANAFINWË MAKALAURË - Lillianna
KURUFINWË ATARINKË - Findaráto
TURKAFINWË TYELKORMO - Varnafindë
FINDEKÁNO - Lilliana
TURUKÁNO - Findaráto
ANGARÁTO - Inc'
NERWENDË ARTANIS - Varnafindë

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CASTING

As is obvious from looking above, there are empty places in our cast. We are willing to take new players, but we are looking for a very certain type of RP'er. To start with, you need to have read (and be comfortable with) at least the following texts:

The Silmarillion
The Laws and Customs among the Eldar (HoME X)
The Shibboleth of Fëanor (HoME XII)
Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth (HoME X)
The Ósanwe-kenta

If you haven't read these, please don't apply to play until you have. If you have read these and would like to play a character, please PM one of us privately. Varnafindë, Eluchil, Inc' and I work closely together on this, and all decisions will be made by consensus. If you post an application on the board you will be automatically rejected. This is a private application process, or by invite only. You may be asked to give us a writing sample, particularly if your character is orignal. Original characters are, for the most part, discouraged.

The following characters are a suggestion of characters that are or will be needed:


MORIFINWË CARNISTIR
PITYAFINWË AMBARUSSA
TELUFINWË [U>]AMBARTO
AIKANÁRO
ARAKÁNO
ÍRISSË
ELENWË
BËOR
THINGOL
MELIAN
LUTHIEN
BEREN
TUOR
DIOR
OLWË
MAEGLIN
EÖL

Varnafindë, Eluchil, Inc' and I have decided that we don't want to see the Valar played directly, so don't ask.

Or if you have questions or an application that you don't want to send via PM for whatever reason, feel free to email it to me at the e-mail address in my profile. This may in some cases be faster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RANDOM NOTES:

*There will be ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO 'GOD-MODDING' IN THIS RP! Play no character but your own - do not even think or speak for another character. Thank you.

*While the stories are in Valinor, Quenya names must be used. We will be annoyed if we see the use of Sindarin names in Valinor. [] If you don't know it or can't find it, please ask.

*If something is posted that goes against canon, we will ask you to change it. Please do not be offended, we are simply trying to keep these RP's as accurate to the book as possible.

*Although one line posts are necessary at times, please do not make them frequent. Describe what your character is doing, describe where they are, describe what they see, describe how they feel. It really isn't that hard to write a decent length post.

*The Eldar will not use the name of Eru except in extremely extenuating circumstances. This is not a "oh, god" sort of thing. If we see you using it this way, we will ask you to change it.

*Most of all, if you have any questions please ask. Eluchil is our resident Tolkien genius, and if he can't answer it, an answer likely doesn't exist! All of us, however, will be glad to help you, and we're usually friendly enough. []

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please feel free to use this thread as a "Word Aside" for all four threads, or to ask questions. Just make sure that you let us know WHICH RP you're talking about. [] :
_________________
'But why dost thou say 'mere words'? Do not words overpass the gulf between one life and another? Between thee and me surely more has passed than empty sound?'
~Finrod, Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth

Avatar art by Alice i Angel Falto.

[Varnafindë]

Here is our timeline, complete with all names in Quenya (and in Sindarinized versions), marking with * those years that we've made up or decided on for ourselves (i.e. not attested ones), including the years for the RPs in the Noldor Quartet, and giving Fëanáro's age at the time (ignoring the matter of different types of year):

• *1159 : birth of Nerdanel
  
• 1169 : birth of Fëanáro (Fëanor)
  
• 1170 : Míriel in Mandos (Fëanáro 1)
  
• 1172 : Statute of Finwë and Míriel (Fëanáro 3)
  
• *1182 : Doom of Mandos (Fëanáro 13)
  
• *1182 : Noldor Quartet: Spirit of Fire (Fëanáro 13)
  

• *1184 : Finwë meets Indis (Fëanáro 15)
  
• *1184 : marriage of Fëanáro (15) and Nerdanel (25)
  
• 1185 : marriage of Finwë and Indis (Fëanáro 16)
  
• 1190 : birth of Nolofinwë (Fingolfin) (Fëanáro 21)
  
• *1191 : birth of Maitimo (Maedhros) (Fëanáro 22)
  
• *1219 : birth of Makalaurë (Maglor) (Fëanáro 50)
  
• 1230 : birth of Arafinwë (Finarfin) (Fëanáro 61)
  
• *1249 : birth of Tyelkormo (Celegorm) (Fëanáro 80)
  
• 1250 : Fëanáro further elaborates the Rúmilian system (Fëanáro 81)
  
• *1278 : marriage of Nolofinwë (Fingolfin) and Anairë (Fëanáro 109)
  
• *1279 : birth of Kurufinwë (Curufin) (Fëanáro 110)
  
• *1280 : birth of Findekáno (Fingon) (Fëanáro 111)
  
• 1280 : marriage of Arafinwë (Finarfin) and Eärwen (Fëanáro 111)
  
• 1300 : births of Turukáno (Turgon) and Findaráto (Finrod) (Fëanáro 131)
  
• *1309 : birth of Carnistir (Caranthir) (Fëanáro 140)
  
• *1310 : Noldor Quartet: Blood Brothers (Fëanáro 141)
  

• *1339 : birth of Ambarussa (Amrod) and Ambarto (Amras) (Fëanáro 170)
  
• 1362 : births of Írissë (Aredhel) and Artanis (Galadriel) (Fëanáro 193)
  
• 1400 : release of Melkor (Fëanáro 231)
  
• *1405 : Noldor Quartet: A Memory Fair but Unfinished (Fëanáro 236)
  

• 1410 : Melkor starts spreading his lies (Fëanáro 241)
  
• 1450 : making of the Silmarils; unrest due to Melkor's lies begins among the Noldor (Fëanáro 281)
  
• *1486 : Noldor Quartet: Flight of the Noldor (Fëanáro 317)
  

• 1490 : ban of Fëanáro; Nolofinwë (Fingolfin) rules in Tirion (Fëanáro 321)
  
• 1492 : Melkor at Formenos, then to Avathar (Fëanáro 323)
  
• 1495 : death of the Trees, murder of Finwë. Oath of Fëanáro, Exile of the Noldor, First Kinslaying (Fëanáro 326)
  
• 1496 : Prophecy of Mandos (Fëanáro 327)
  
• 1497 : Helcaraxë; Fëanáro disappears with the boats (Fëanáro 328)
  
• 1498 : death of Fëanáro (Fëanáro 329)
  

_________________
Nai tengwestie nóle kalyuva kuilelya!

Avatar art by Henning Janssen

[Findaráto]

[Re: A Memory Fair but Unfinished]

Yay! With Eluchil's post, we're moving again! Thinking of how to combine the two slightly divergent threads we have going, I think that Amárië will continue to see Indis for 'lessons' while she's staying at Arafinwë's house. Because another reply from Artanis and we should be able to move this ahead to Amárië's visit.

What do you think?
_________________
'But why dost thou say 'mere words'? Do not words overpass the gulf between one life and another? Between thee and me surely more has passed than empty sound?'
~Finrod, Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth

Avatar art by Alice i Angel Falto.

[Varnafindë]

So we're using this as one discussion thread for all the Noldor Quartet RPs?

Good idea, probably - so many of our questions on one have been relevant for some of the others as well.

[Re: A Memory Fair but Unfinished]

Originally I meant Artanis' reply to be another question to her brother, to elicit more philosophy - and Eluchil has told me in a PM that he is ready for that now. So may I do that first? When he has answered her philosophical question (which fits right into where they are and might be difficult to get back at later), it's time to go on to the visit.

Before that, perhaps, Amarië should have another interesting visitor
_________________
Nai tengwestie nóle kalyuva kuilelya!

Avatar art by Henning Janssen

[Findaráto]

Yes, I think it will be good to use this for all of the different RP's - it will keep things easier, I think.

[Re: A Memory Fair but Unfinished]

[Varnafindë]

[Findaráto]

[Varnafindë]

Like I said, it should be interesting
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Nai tengwestie nóle kalyuva kuilelya!

Avatar art by Henning Janssen

[Findaráto]

Now here's something I've been thinking about. Will Nolo like her?

See, I've been thinking a lot about Ama's personality, and I'm not sure that she's the kind of girl who would really get along with Nolo very well. Or vice versa.

Ama is not stupd (in the least), but she's very delicate, innocent, fragile and a bit naive. She's also very trusting - she likes to believe that everyone is good and that everyone's intentions are pure. She's the kind of girl who should be glad that she's found a gentle, loving husband, because it would be very easy to manipulate or take advantage of her. She'd let a guy walk all over her and not realize there was anything wrong with that. She's the kind of girl who would provoke a 'protective' instinct in good people, and a 'take-advantage' reaction in bad people...

It seems to me from the way that you play Nolo that he might see her innocence and purity as a weakness rather than a strength. I just got the idea that he might find her annoying.
_________________
'But why dost thou say 'mere words'? Do not words overpass the gulf between one life and another? Between thee and me surely more has passed than empty sound?'
~Finrod, Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth

Avatar art by Alice i Angel Falto.

[Varnafindë]

That's very interesting - and something that we'll be working out ...

I think at first he'll find her perplexing. I thought about editing my previous post and say that he's had far too little experience with people like her. He's used to people who answer back, to people who see themselves as his equals (or else as his staff), not to some fragile little thing that is frightened by him.

His first reaction might be "but I thought this would be the right thing to do!" He only wanted to be polite. And where Findaráto would react by trying to comfort anyone who was unexpectedly frightened of him, Nolo reacts by withdrawing (not to represent a threat any more, which he never meant to, but not knowing how to remedy the damage).

Perhaps he expected her to feel offended and to only grudgingly accept his apology - unless Kuru knows enough about her to put him out of that misconception (I'm a bit curious, and so is Nolo, as to his advice to use small words). If he finds her annoying, it would probably be because he finds her perplexing. Noone in his family has that kind of personality, and he doesn't know how to handle it.
_________________
Nai tengwestie nóle kalyuva kuilelya!

Avatar art by Henning Janssen

[Findaráto]

Ama, on the other hand, won't understand why he feels he needs to apologize - she doesn't think he has anything at all to apologize for, or Fingon either, for that matter. It was just a misunderstanding and she's sure nobody meant any harm whatsoever.

[Varnafindë]

I also think that Kuru exaggerated, and that Fingon is not broken-hearted because of Ama. He was a bit annoyed about dancing with her without her telling him that she really was going to dance with Finrod - I think that if she had told him to wait for later in the evening, they might then have had a good time together, with no misunderstandings - but she will not be the reason why he never marries (perhaps he even does marry ).

Nolo will talk to his son, and ensure that there is no major misconduct to apologize for - if there had been, he would have taken him along, and probably have apologized to Finrod as well - as it is, he realises that a formal apology on behalf of the family will be sufficient. (Or, as it turns out to be, suffocating ) Fingon can tell him her name - and Finarfin may be able to give him more details.

It would have nice to play out all of these events with all the players involved, but I feel it would drag out the story too much, especially with waiting for everybody to post - so I might end up with just referring to what happened. For Fingon we have some of his immediate reactions as Lillanna played them during the first version of the ball.

But we'll play the encounter between Nolo and Ama.

Yes, he'll see her softness and innocence as weakness, but not a weakness to make him want to either protect her or abuse her - he's not one to have either of those reactions triggered by her. Rather to have him step back and keep some distance. I suppose she makes him nervous, too.

He knows how to be formal and correct - he knows how to fight back at strong people like his half-brother and -nephew - he knows how to be tender with his wife, when he's sure he's in private - and he knows how to be gentle with his young son when physically hurt. He even knows how to be benevolent to his "subjects", when he is approached by some commoner with a petition - but then if the other is frightened, he'll soon go away, and Nolo will deal with the petition rather than with the frightened Elf.

Here the frightened Elf is about to join his family, and he will meet her again the next week and the week after that and probably indefinitely. He will hope for her to become less frightened with time, but not really know what he can do about it.

I think it's good for Ama to have Ara for her father-in-law rather than Nolo. Ara will be better suited to understand her.
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Avatar art by Henning Janssen