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Deific Flame  by Bejai 5 Review(s)
Sophia SilfaeryReviewed Chapter: 8 on 4/19/2005
I've read this quite a few times now but I've never been able to find the words to show quite how much I love it. I am just bowled over by the sheer brilliance of your prose. Your grasp of the characters is so clear and you bring them to life for me in a way few can! Just wow and my sheer admiration for your talent.

Author Reply: Thanks! I'm glad to hear from you. Every review is precious. I've certainly been enjoying your stories recently as well, and hope you keep it up!

NilmandraReviewed Chapter: 8 on 1/23/2005
In light of the recent tsunami's, I fear we can visualize all too well what you wrote about here. How the earth must have changed, and I particularly like Osse's reaction. He must have rejoiced at seeing Gorthaur sink upon his throne, even as Uinen mourned the loss of Numenor. I wonder where Elendil and compnay washed ashore? I sort of guessed at Mithlond, but I suppose some could have been blow further south.

Oh, and I like your brave and resourceful Celebrian. Galadriel is really shaken by her vision, but Celebrian and Celeborn have kept their heads. I wonder if Galadriel's sense or feel or bound to Valinor was broken on this day? Thank you for getting me thinking!

Author Reply: The convergence between RL and story was really very tragic. While I must admit that today's images did inform this story (how could they not!), I would rather not have had so potent an example.

Glad you enjoyed Osse and Celebrian. I've always loved Celebrian, and have wanted to write Osse for a long time, and this chapter seemed a good place to showcase them.

I figure this even must have really hit Galadriel hard. First, seeing such death with her foresight and ability to see things far off. Second, just the general impact of such an event on everyone, and the changed world on the elves in particular. Third, as you say, Valinor being removed from the world. I'm not sure she knows at this point whether or not it still even exists! And fourth, the ring of water, which surely reacted violently to this event.

Oh, as for your question, the Silm tells us where Elendil et al washed ashore. They ended up separated, with Elendil in Mithlond (hence the kingdom of Arnor in the north) and Isildur in Belfalas (hence Gondor in the south.) Here's the quote, which is going to play a big role in the next chapter:

"Nine ships there were: four for Elendil, and for Isildur three, and for Anárion two; and they fled before the black gale … Elendil was cast up by the waves in the land of Lindon … Isildur and Anárion were borne away southwards … into the western sea in the Bay of Belfalas; and they established a realm in those lands that were after called Gondor."

Thanks for the review!

MarnieReviewed Chapter: 8 on 1/20/2005
Only Ilúvatar could change the world, but perhaps someday when Ulmo was occupied, Ossë would attempt to rock it.

Oh I love him! (From a safe distance ;) ) Ossë is fab! On the one hand we've got the events of Christmas to remind us that when he does rock the world it's a very bad thing, but on the other hand you can't help feeling that his sheer exhuberance is something you wouldn't want to see tamed. And also there's a certain feeling that his emotional involvement both good and bad is preferrable to the Valar's 'oh, we won't interfere, we'll just let them all drown,' attitude. Excuse me, but weren't they put here in order to interfere?

I loved the description of what the Breaking of the World must have felt like to those who were as intimately connected to it as the elves - particularly the image of Arda curling round on itself like a wounded animal. And how terrifying to think that Valinor was gone, and not know if it was ever possible now to go there - it's very different to choose to stay somewhere than to be shut in.

I like the way Galadriel feels the tumult of water through Nenya, so it becomes a drawback rather than an asset in this case. Oh, and I loved the very elvish 'the people found a tree clinging to her.'! That kind of detail makes such a difference!

Celeborn's practical nature really comes to the fore in this chapter :) I had to sympathize with Calandil's 'Is that all', but on the other hand that's really what such situations need most of all - someone to take charge and make sure everything is done as quickly and efficiently as possible. And he's the ideal choice for that.

Really enjoyable chapter! You're on a roll now aren't you? To which I can only say 'hurray' :)

Author Reply: Thanks Marnie!

I just had to save the elves of Edhellond. Tolkien never wrote a song about this tragedy, as far as I know, soI figured that their losses must have been relatively low. The Valar had set aside their governance of the world, so I think they would have felt it was improper to interfere with anything Iluvatar was doing. (Not that I'm convinced they would have helped even if they could!) Elvish foresight was too fickle to help, and getting the word up and down the coast would have taken too long. Thus, Osse. Besides, I've wanted to write Osse ever since he started showed up in your stories ;) He has quite an interesting ethic. I love how passionately he does everything, from his love of chaos to his love of the elves, and his willingness to embrace both fully, although the inhabitants of Middle-earth might sometimes see those as contraditionary aims.

Glad you enjoyed the "feel" of the elves' experience. I think even more than the damage they can see, the difference in the structure of the world would have impacted them deeply. More discussion on that coming in the next chapter.

This chapter rolled out much better than some of the previous chapters, and the next one is already coming along. It is easier, now that I'm back in actual Tolkien-written history, and not just muddling around trying to fill massive holes in the timeline. I feel like I've just been mucking through the last four chapters so I can get back to what is interesting. As I originally conceived this story, this chapter was supposed to be the third! I'm pleased with how the other parts finally developed and enhanced the initial idea, but it certainly was a slog!

Thanks again for the review.

perellethReviewed Chapter: 8 on 1/19/2005
Wow! it's truly impressive after last events, just because images are still fresh on screens but, nonetheless.. i consider you've wholly succeeded in depicting this mosntruous event!!! I'm amazed at how powerful your words are. I mean, as I had never before put thought on what had happened beyond the Misty Mountains, it all comes as a big surprise now to consider all the damage the powerful after wave must have done to both elven harbors... Interesting, I had never considered that.
I love Celebrían being so efficient and the way both Celeborn and Galadriel feel the effects through their different connections. But were I to pick out something special from this chapter, I'd definitely choose Ossë!! wow! I like this rebellious Maia and though he may seem a bit careless.. I kind of understand his emotions at the sight of the unleashed forces of his own realm.... I think it was very effective to show the wave from his neither-human nor-elven point of view. It definitely made it even more unnatural than it already was. Congrats! I'm truly enjoying your work!

Author Reply: Thanks, perelleth! The convergence of real life and story was quite sad while I was writing this, but I'm pleased to hear that it was successful. The balance between tasteful and realistic was a hard one to strike.

I'd never thought about these events from this point of view until I started really digging into the Silm was I was researching the background of this story. Once I realized that the shores of Middle-earth must have suffered the consequences of a massive reworking of the world, I just had to write it.

I'm glad you enjoyed Osse. I've always wanted to write him, and he fit in well here. On the one hand, this is the guy who joined up with Morgoth just because he likes chaos ... on the other, he has a deep attachment to the elves. He certainly has an interesting point of view ;)

I'm glad you're still enjoying, and thanks for the review.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 8 on 1/18/2005
Such a dreadful event - it's good to see it explored from the point of view of those who endured its effects. Histories insist on concentrating on idiots like Ar-Pharazon and completely ignore the effect their actions have on people who are just living their lives.

I enjoyed seeing efficient Celebrian in charge of things. She has plenty of practical good sense - and doesn't seem to mind her adar taking over, either. Probably quite a relief in a situation like this.

Poor Galadriel - torn apart on so many levels here - elfy connection to land, sea, Aman - and foresight informing her of the death of all those who dwelt in Numenor. And Celeborn feeling the disruption of the land. They must feel rather like novice sailors reeling on a high sea.

Thank goodness for Osse. At least they got some warning - even if Ulmo didn't seem to feel it necessary to tell them what would happen.

Moving - I'll read it again tomorrow. I hope someone takes this out on Ar-Pharazon in whatever afterlife he is condemned to endure.

Author Reply: Hi Bodkin

Thanks for the review. Once I got thinking about it, I figured that this had to have been one of the massive events of the second age. I didn't really want to write the Ar-Pharazon POV, so this was much more, er, fun.

I decided that the elves just had to have some kind of warning, otherwise it really would have wiped out Edhellond and Mithlond. Since this event wasn't really immortalized in elven song (that we know of!), I figured that the loss of life must have been fairly low. And I've always wanted to write Osse, so it just worked.

I agree about the "novice sailors" bit. Even with foresight, I don't think either of them could have imagined this.

Thanks again for the review!

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